Since 2011, the Organization of Ibero-American States’ (OEI) Luces para Aprender (LPA) (Lights to Learn) programme has contributed to improving the quality of teaching and learning in rural schools throughout Latin America through multi-sectoral cooperation in the areas of electricity supply, Internet connection, teacher training and community strengthening. We spoke to Angélica Páez, head of the LPA programme at OEI to find out more.
The Luces para Aprender programme was approved in 2011 at the 21st Ibero-American Education Conference by the ministries of education of Ibero-American countries: "The launch of the programme was endorsed on a political level, and this green light was essential. We then came up with a technical definition of what we wanted to achieve, as well as the main objective of the LPA programme." It was agreed that the main goal of the programme should be to improve the quality of education in rural areas through five approaches:
- Installing photovoltaic units in rural schools
- Providing IT materials
- Providing internet connectivity to tackle geographic isolation
- Training teachers to move forward in terms of quality, e.g. digital literacy, methodological and pedagogical suggestions, etc.
- Raising awareness and community support: "The LPA is based on the principle that schools are the beating of heart of community life. Thanks to the technology, schools can now be used for additional purposes, such as adult education or letting community members recharge their mobile telephones or electric lamps."