June 4 (UPI) — Latin America is facing an escalating education crisis as school dropout rates continue to climb, affecting not only the region’s poorest countries but also those with historically strong public education systems, such as Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay. In Argentina, despite its educational potential, nearly 40% of the population — about 17.9 million people — lives in poverty, a factor that directly impacts school attendance and completion.
Statistics show that roughly 160 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean are of school age — nearly a quarter of the region’s total population. About half of them do not complete their education, and many are considering leaving their home countries for the United States, Spain or other developed nations in search of better opportunities.
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and other international organizations have warned that the region’s dropout crisis poses a serious threat to its development.
A report by the Inter-American Development Bank found that 27% of students drop out before completing their education. UNESCO estimates that around 23 million children and teenagers in the region are not enrolled in school.
Countries with the lowest dropout rates include Chile (7%), Peru (10%) and Bolivia (16%). The highest rates are in Guatemala (57%), Honduras (53%) and Uruguay (37%). Venezuela’s rate is estimated at 27%, while Paraguay and Ecuador report dropout rates of 32% and 28%, respectively.
In Mexico, more than 4 million children and teenagers are not in school, and another 600,000 are at risk of dropping out, according to a UNICEF report. The problem becomes more pronounced with age: three in 10 teens aged 15 to 17 are no longer attending school.
ECLAC attributes part of the crisis to extended school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, which lasted more than 70 weeks on average. These interruptions severely disrupted schooling and widened existing inequalities, particularly at the secondary level.
Experts agree that school dropout is a multifaceted issue. While the pandemic worsened the situation, studies show the trend predates COVID-19 and is rooted in deep structural problems.
Contributing factors include poverty, single-parent or broken families and low parental education levels, all of which push many students to leave school to work or care for family members. Teenage pregnancy is another key factor.
Other factors are student disengagement, lack of motivation, disruptive classroom environments and the inability of youth to see education as a path to a better future. Drug use and recruitment by drug trafficking gangs further undermine student retention.
Although less prevalent today, the traditional lack of value placed on technical education in the region has also contributed to the problem. Stronger connections between vocational training and the job market could provide a path forward for many young people.
Early school dropout significantly undermines economic development across Latin America. Young people who leave school early are less likely to find formal, stable or well-paying jobs, leading to a less skilled workforce and lower productivity. This, in turn, slows national economic growth, reduces competitiveness and hampers innovation.