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RAMDIN: IT IS TIME FOR A NEW DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IN WHICH ‘EDUCATION FOR ALL’ BECOMES THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENT

Quito, Ecuador. During the inaugural ceremony of the VI Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education, the Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Albert Ramdin, affirmed that “it is high time for a new development strategy or paradigm in which ‘education for all’ becomes an essential element.”

The Vice President of the Republic of Ecuador, Lenín Voltaire Moreno Garcés, and the Minister of Education, Raúl Vallejo, also participated in the inaugural ceremony, during which Ramdin highlighted, in the context of education-related efforts, the need to create “a development strategy that is holistic and not only creates wellbeing and wealth through trading arrangements, but one that focuses on human potential and creativity. One that fosters a core set of values towards solidarity, integrity, mutual respect and progress.”

Referring to the central theme of the ministerial meeting, “Better opportunities for youth: Rethinking secondary education”, Ramdin explained that the host government chose that theme “perhaps to promote creativity and reflection on a key issue for the future of our societies”. Likewise, he underscored the Ecuadorian initiative of fostering “education with a human touch.” Ramdin said this approach “demonstrates an understanding that education is about people, and about ensuring their right and access to quality education and to a better life.”

The OAS Assistant Secretary General also affirmed that “education is an essential building block of the socio-political and economic development of individuals as well as to the society to which they belong. Therefore, when we speak of secondary education, we must bear in mind that education is also about individual rights and citizenship”. He also added that “education must do more than prepare a person to enter the labor market or for academic success.”

Ramdin took the opportunity to applaud the efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Education of Ecuador to include youth in the Ministerial process through the Youth of the Americas Encounter on Secondary Education. Likewise, he said the OAS is working to include in its thematic agenda, “the voices, ideas and concerns of young people as a cross-cutting issue.” Welcoming the ministers at the hemispheric meeting, Ramdin recommended to “strive to give the young people of our hemisphere, who are both our future and our present, the knowledge, skills and self-confidence they need to take advantage of tremendous opportunities and to fight effectively the challenges that lie ahead.”

Following Ambassador Ramdin’s presentation, the Vice President of Ecuador, Lenín Voltaire Moreno Garcés, made a speech in which he valued the fact that his government’s initiative to promote ‘education with a human touch’, had been positively recognized by the OAS leader. The VI Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education is taking place from August 12 – 14 in Quito, Ecuador, with the participation of more than 30 leaders in the area of education from all over the Americas.

Reference: E-259/09