Education and the Future of Latin America

What will it take to overcome the many challenges that Latin America faces in developing quality, inclusive education for its diverse population? That is the question at the heart of Alejandro Toledo's new book. Toledo begins from the premise that the uneven caliber of schools and universities in the region is only part of the problem. Drawing on his own childhood experiences living in deep poverty, he addresses the inequalities in health care, the large pockets of economic deprivation, and the discrimination against Indigenous peoples that continue to characterize Latin American societies—conditions of rural education, and the pitfalls of privatizing higher education. His examples of successes, and his call for sustained political leadership in reforming education, are both realistic and refreshingly candid.