GLOBAL AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT Reflections and proposals for the SICA region Collaboration from

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT

Reflections and proposals for the SICA region CREDITS

@CECC/SICA

The Report was written by Daniel Abreu.

The following UNESCO education specialists contributed input and review:

Ismini Anemogianni Cecilia Barbieri Elodie Beth Seo Martha Ferede Mary Guinn Delaney Romina Kasman Miguel Llivina Lavigne Ricardo Martínez Brenes Franklin Tejeda Lucia Verdugo

UNODC specialists Mónica Mendoza Betancourt Marco Texeira

CECC/SICA education specialists: Guisela Céspedes Lobo Jorge Rivera Pizarro

Concept, layout and graphic design. ioCreativa S.A./ileana Ondoy J.

This document was prepared in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and (UNODC).

The ideas expressed in this work are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNESCO, UNODC or the Member States of the United Nations.

The contents of this document may be reproduced in any medium, citing the source. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT

Content

Acronyms 5 Foreword 7 Introduction, objectives and structure of the Report 9 GCED on the International and Regional Education Agenda 13 Key Conceptual Framework of Global Citizenship Education in times of COVID-19 18 Citizenship Education 20 The Foundations of Global Citizenship Education 21 Objectives and Domains of Global Citizenship Education 24 GCED for strengthening democracy and the rule of 27 Youth perspectives on Citizenship Education and GCED. 28 Citizenship Education in SICA countries 30 analysis of GCED in CECC-SICA countries 36 Citizen education initiatives in SICA countries 35 How to Strengthen Citizenship Education in SICA Countries 41 a. Educational policy area: strengthening the multisectoral nature of Citizenship Education 41 b. Curriculum area: 42 b.1) potential contributions of GCED to SICA curricula 42 b.2) Incorporating the socioemotional and behavioral domains 43 c. Teachers field: Prioritize initial and in-service teacher training 44 d. Schools: more participatory and democratic educational 46 e. level: youth leadership in the implementation of Citizenship Education and GCED. 47 f. Policy area, strategies and regional monitoring 48 “One area of particular relevance is education for the exercise of citizenship, a dimension especially challenged in these times when citizens have seen their principles, values and daily practices critically demanded by the special circumstances of living together in . GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 5

ACRONYMS

AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

CAB Andrés Bello Agreement.

CECC Central America Coordination Bureau for Education and .

ERCE Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study.

ESD Education for Sustainable Development.

GCED Global Citizenship Education.

HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

INFOD National Institute of Teacher Training (El Salvador).

LAC Latin America & Caribbean.

LLECE Latin American Laboratory for Assessment of the Quality of Education.

OAS Organization of American States.

OEI Organization of Iberoamerican States.

SDG Sustainable Development Goal.

SICA Central America Integration System. Véase

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “An education that develops children and young people’s of the , their ability to understand and exercise their human , to think critically, to make sound ethical judgments and, based on the development of a sense of belonging to a common humanity, to contribute actively to more peaceful, cohesive and inclusive .“ GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 7

Foreword

The CECC Council of Ministers has proposed to the Ministries of Education, in the Contingency Plan for the SICA region, to prioritize some approaches and curri- culum content. One area of particular relevance is education for the exercise of citizenship, a dimension especially challenged in these times when citizens have seen their principles, values and daily practices critically demanded by the spe- cial circumstances of living together in society.

The alliance of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) has su- pported CECC’s actions in this direction because they agree on the importance of strengthening teaching and learning processes for the exercise of citizenship. An education that develops children and young people’s awareness of the rule of law, their ability to understand and exercise their , to think critica- lly, to make sound ethical judgments and, based on the development of a sense of belonging to a common humanity, to contribute actively to more peaceful, cohesive and inclusive societies. In the midst of the unfolding pandemic, the three above mentioned institutions jointly convened and hosted two Regional Policy Dialogues on Citizenship Edu- cation in September and November 2020. High-level representatives from Minis- tries of Education, actors, youth and teacher educators exchanged views and experiences on how to strengthen the implementation of Global Citi- zenship Education in the region in times of pandemic. 8 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

The result of these dialogues and complementary consultations is the Report on and Recommendations on Education for Global Citizenship. Reflections and proposals for the countries of the SICA region, which we now present for the consideration of the authorities, ministerial technicians, teachers and their trainers.

The Report explains how Global Citizenship Education is implemented in SICA countries and provides recommendations for strengthening it in different as- pects of policy and teaching practice.

The CECC Executive Secretariat and the UNESCO Cluster Office in San José, throu- gh various training activities, will promote, in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and other key stakeholders in education in the region, the review of current curriculum policies and practices in light of the reference framework contained in the Report. This exercise is part of the implementation of the re- commendations made by the CECC Council of Ministers in the Education Contin- gency Plan for the SICA region.

Carlos Staff Sánchez Julio Carranza Marco Texeira Executive Secretary Director a.i. Coordinator CECC/SICA UNESCO UNODC San José Cluster Office Doha Global Program

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 9

Introduction, objectives and structure of the Report

This document is intended to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences among SICA Member States to strengthen the efforts already being made in the implementa- tion of Citizenship Education. It is a result of a collaborative action between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Central American Educational and Cultural Coordination of the Central American Integration System (CECC-SICA).

This collaborative process is aligned with the priority given to the topic by some edu- cational policy guidance instruments. At regional level the Central American Educa- tion Policy (Goal 6)1 , and the Contingency Plan on Education for the SICA Region2 and its Recommendations3 (September 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At global level in Goal 4.74 of SDG4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development5 that contains Global Citizenship Education (GCED) as a strategic dimension of quality, inclusive and equitable education. GCED provides people throughout their lives with

1 CECC-SICA (2016). Central American Education Policy 2013-2030. Available at: https://ceccsica.info/sites/default/files/docs/ PEC%202013-2030%20ENGLISH.pdf 2 CECC-SICA (2020) Education Contingency Plan for the SICA Region, CECC-SICA. Available at: https://ceccsica.info/sites/default/ files/inline-files/CECC%20SICA%20Plan%20de%20Contingencia.pdf 3 CECC-SICA (2020) Education Contingency Plan for the SICA Region. Recommendations. Available at: https://ceccsica.info/sites/ default/files/inline-files/CECC%20SICA%20Contingency%20Plan%20Recommendations.pdf f 4 More information on Target 4.7 of Sustainable Development Goal 4 is available at https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelop- ment/education/ 5 To learn more about Sustainable Development Goal 4, see https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/ 10 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

the knowledge and tools to critically reflect on global challenges, considering the in- terrelationship between the local, national, regional and global levels, and to actively participate in the achievement of a more democratic, peaceful, inclusive, sustainable and socially just6 world.

The objective of this Report is to systematize and analyze the main conclusions of two sub-regional intersectoral and inter-institutional dialogues, organized by CECC-SICA, UNESCO and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in September and November 2020, which included the participation of high-level representatives from Ministries of Education and young leaders from SICA countries7.

The first dialogue was aimed at analyzing how Citizenship Education is being imple- mented in the different SICA countries, as well as examining the challenges and lessons learned in each country. The second dialogue fostered discussion around the recom- mendations for strengthening Citizenship Education, considering the priorities for ac- tion included in the Contingency Plan and its Recommendations, namely: the review and strengthening of approaches to Citizenship Education at all levels in curriculum development, teacher training and practices, and the development of qualitative in- dicators to follow up on common goals and indicators8 In both dialogues knowledge about GCED was also promoted, in order to provide examples of themes, approaches, methodologies and practices that could contribute to the protagonists reflection on how to address the main challenges to expand and strengthen the implementation of Citizenship Education in the region.

This Report, as well as the dialogue processes carried out between Ministries of Educa- tion and young leaders of the SICA countries, have been possible thanks to the support provided by the partnership between the Section of Education for Global Citizenship and at UNESCO9 Headquarters and the Education for (E4J) initiative10 of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which promotes the rule of law through education, as one of the pillars for fostering a transformative, responsible and

6 To learn more about GCED and access publications, see the Global Citizenship Education site, available at https://en.unesco.org/ themes/GCED 7 To access the video of the first dialogue, see https://youtu.be/9VqPgUHqQUU (Spanish version) and https://youtu.be/SExLd- C2J5qA (English version). The press release is available here: https://es.unesco.org/news/primer-dialogo-subregional-politi- ca-educacion-ciudadania. To access the video of the second dialogue, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2utAL5DdL- SA&list=PLfPeI5ff1J0CtjdPGHe4cVN_dvG4qlKrh&index=4. The press release is available here: https://es.unesco.org/news/ paises-del-sistema-integracion-centroamericana-sica-se-reunieron-segunda-vez-dialogar-politica. 8 CECC-SICA (2020) Education Contingency Plan for the SICA Region. Recommendations. Available at: https://n9.cl/261w . See recommendations 42, 43 and 44, page 12.

9 To learn more about GCED and access publications, see the Global Citizenship Education site, available at https://en.unesco.org/ themes/GCED 10 To learn more about this initiative and to access initiatives and publications, see the site Education for Justice, available at: https://www.unodc.org/e4j/en/index.html GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 11

committed global citizenship and creating safe, healthy and democratic environments for the exercise of citizenship by children and youth.

The Report starts placing GCED in the context of international Education Agenda and in the priority given to it in the SICA region responses to the challenges that COVID-19 has imposed on the education systems.

A selection of the most relevant conceptual framework is presented below, with special emphasis on understanding the synergy of the concepts of civic and Citizenship Edu- cation in relation to GCED. After reviewing the main concepts, the following chapter shows the most relevant initiatives implemented by SICA countries on Citizenship Edu- cation. Finally, the Report is completed with a series of recommendations that draw on the results of the organized dialogues mentioned in previous paragraphs.

Due to the current situation, the elaboration of this Report and its recommendations will be built with a situation analysis and action view to address the impacts and cha- llenges that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has generated in the educational systems. Mainly in the purposes of education and in the teaching and formal, non-formal and processes. The impacts, in turn, are taking place in contexts of economic, so- cial and institutional changes that affect relations between the State and the citizen- ry, as well as among citizens. The organization of the dialogues and this Report were inspired by the importance of supporting the aforementioned processes of exchange and collaborative work between the Member States with the support of CECC-SICA Executive Secretariat, The Curriculum in Emergency concept in the Contingency Plan reflects the countries’ recognition of the need of education to promote new citizen be- haviors based on renewed principles and values, strengthening its resilience capacities to address the main challenges and impacts of the pandemic and (re) build a world with greater equity, and well-being for all. “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and the contribution of culture to sustainable development.” GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 13

Global Citizenship Education on the International and Regional Education Agenda

The international benchmark of major importance for the development of po- licies, programs and initiatives in this field is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, specifi- cally Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) 11whose Target 4.7 states: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including through education for sustainable deve- lopment and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and the contribution of culture to sustainable development.” 12

A few months before the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Develo- pment by UN Member States, the Incheon Declaration and its Framework for Ac- tion13 were agreed upon as the basis for promoting the implementation of SDG 4. The Incheon Declaration promoted the incorporation of two major dimensions

11 To learn more about Sustainable Development Goal 4, see https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/education/. 12 More information on Target 4.7 of Sustainable Development Goal 4 is available at https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelop- ment/education/ 13 UNESCO (2015). Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities. Available at: https://unes- doc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000245656 14 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

of learning and teaching as a requirement for making effective access to and exercise of the right to quality, inclusive and equitable education: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED). In its numeral 9, the Declaration states that “...Quality education fosters the develop- ment of skills, values and attitudes that enable citizens to lead healthy and fulfi- lling lives, make informed decisions and respond to local and global challenges through education for sustainable development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED)”. 14

At the regional level, and the Organization of American States adopted different man- dates that support the implementation of Citizenship Education in the region. In 2001 the Inter-American Democratic Charter (Articles 26 and 27) reflects the importance of education for the construction of a democratic culture. At the IV Inter-American Mee- ting of Ministers of Education, held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2006, the OAS Member States recognized that “Education must play a fundamental role in the development of democratic and productive citizenship and in the promotion of social inclusion to find collective solutions to problems and ensure that future generations enter a world of opportunity and hope”15 and agreed to launch the Inter-American Program on Edu- cation for Democratic Values and Practices, which would be implemented until 2013, although ratified and valued in resolutions of the General Assembly until the present. More recently, at the VIII Summit of the Americas held in Lima, Peru, in April 2018, the Heads of State and Government of the OAS Member States agreed to include civic edu- cation as a fundamental element in preventing and, among their commit- ments for action, called on the OAS to develop an initiative in this regard 16.

Likewise, in the Central American region, the CECC Council of Ministers of Education in 2016 reviewed its Central American Education Policy 2013-2030 Initially approved in 2014, it was updated and brought in line with the international commitments made by the countries of the region to the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Incheon Declaration. This Central American Education Policy included SDG4 4.7 goal in its Objective 6: “The education systems of the SICA member countries at all levels will adopt an expanded concept of quality that includes theoretical and practical learning for sustainable human development, values and attitudes for the exercise of citizens- hip and the permanent construction of a democratic culture and peace, as well as the response to emerging social needs in the region”17. The Objective 6 commit countries:

14 Ibid. page 8. 15 OAS- Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE)- Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) (2005). Declaration of Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago. IV Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education. Available at: http://www.oas.org/en/ sedi/dhdee/DOCs/DECLARATION_OF_SCARBOROUGH_ING.doc 16 OAS-Summit of the Americas Secretariat (2018) Lima Commitment “Democratic Governance against Corruption” https://viiicum- breperu.summit-americas.org/us/lima-commitment-democratic-governance-against-corruption/ 17 CECC-SICA. Central American Education Policy 2013-2030. Ibid. pages 15 and 16- GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 15

• “By 2021, ensure that specific educational policies and curriculum guidelines are in place in all countries that embrace knowledge and practices of education for sustainable development, the adoption of sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, the promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and the valuing of cultural diversity and the contribution of culture to sustainable development, among other means.

• By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to promote sustainable development, including through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promo- tion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and the contribution of culture to sustainable development (SDG4 Target 4.7).” 18

One year after the approval of the Central American Education Policy and, under the broader socio-political context of Latin America, the Buenos Aires Declaration was made by the I Meeting of Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by UNESCO in Argentina in January 2017. In the Article 14 of the Declaration, the Ministers of Education of the region established the following commitment: “We will design and implement comprehensive programs of education for sustainable development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCED), fundamental to acquire values and attitudes linked to human rights, gender equality, culture of peace, non-violence and coexistence; for the protection of the environment and life on the planet, and to face the challenges of climate change. As an integral part of these programs, we will disseminate the SDGs, especially among the actors of the educational community in order to empower them as responsible global citizens and protagonists of this new agenda”19.

Finally, two more recent regional references have been taken into account for this Report: the Education Contingency Plan for the SICA Region and the respec- tive Recommendations document20, and A Curriculum in Emergency for the SICA Region: Content and Methodology21.

In the case of the Contingency Plan and its recommendations, which were approved at a Extraordinary Meeting of the CECC-SICA Council of Ministers in September 2020, it con- tains a series of recommendations to guide the implementation of educational policy

18 Ibid. pages 15 and 16. 19 UNESCO (2017). Declaration of Buenos Aires, I Meeting of Ministers of Education of Latin America and the Caribbean in the framework of SDG-Education 2030. Available at: http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/FIELD/Santiago/pdf/ Buenos-Aires-Declaration-ENG-2017.pdf 20 CECC-SICA (2020) Education Contingency Plan for the SICA Region. Recommendations. Available at: https://ceccsica.info/sites/ default/files/inline-files/CECC%20SICA%20Contingency%20Plan%20Recommendations.pdf 21 Opertti, Renato (2020). A curriculum in emergency for the SICA region: content and methodology. Available at: https://ceccsica. info/sites/default/files/inline-files/Un%20Curr%C3%ADculo%20en%20Emergencia%20para%20la%20regi%C3%B3n%20 SICA.pdf 16 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

statements at the different territorial levels of management of the Ministries of Educa- tion of the SICA countries, especially to provide effective responses to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, several of the recommendations of this plan on Citi- zenship Education directly address central aspects of the GCED, such as:

Recommendation 42: “Strengthen in the SICA region the approach to Citizenship Education at all levels of the educational systems and in all instances of culture gene- ration, for the development in children, adolescents and young people of the cogni- tive, socioemotional and behavioral skills necessary for the construction of a culture of peace and democratic coexistence. This includes the exercise of a transformative participation in the social and political life of society, within the framework of a com- mitment to the rule of law. As well as promoting the participation of children and youth in collective actions that address the main challenges of societies and based on respect for human rights, gender equality, equity, and recognition and appreciation of diversity.

Recommendation 43: “Promote that education for citizenship also includes knowle- dge and competencies/skills related to: (i) languages, at least native, English and the codes for getting by in the digital world; (ii) scientific-technological literacy; (iii) un- derstanding and transformation of society and the world; and (iv) appreciation of the diverse manifestations of .”

Recommendation 44: “To the Executive Secretariat of the CECC to prepare a speciali- zed policy and strategy document on Citizenship Education to guide its strengthening in the countries of the SICA region and provide elements for a timely analysis of curri- culum frameworks and teaching practices in schools. This includes the development of qualitative indicators for the monitoring of common goals and indicators agreed upon in the framework of the Central American Education Policy PEC 2013-2030 and the achievement of Target 4.7 of SDG4. The Executive Secretariat will generate the ne- cessary institutional alliances to achieve this task”22.

Furthermore, the document “A Curriculum in Emergency for the SICA region: content and methodology”, provides a framework of reference and general criteria to guide the design and development of the Curriculum in Emergency, as it has been called by the CECC Council of Ministers when launching the “Contingency Plan in Education for the SICA Region in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic”. The document builds its frame of reference among 10 key aspects:

22 CECC-SICA (2020) Education Contingency Plan for the SICA Region, CECC-SICA. Available at: https://ceccsica.info/sites/default/ files/inline-files/CECC%20SICA%20Plan%20de%20Contingencia.pdf. CECC-SICA (2020) Education Contingency Plan for the SICA Region. Recommendations. Available at: https://ceccsica.info/sites/ default/files/inline-files/CECC%20SICA%20Contingency%20Plan%20Recommendations.pdf GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 17

• “The valorization of people who, in the light of the emergency, are seen in several contexts, one of which is that of generations, another that of families and their vulnerabilities, as well as that of educators (keys 1 to 5);

• the relevance of deepening global-local contents, and in particular educating ci- tizens with a “libertarian” way of thinking, responsible for promoting values and helping to appreciate diversity (keys 6 to 9); and

• the change in the modus vivendi and operandi of educational systems through the progressive appropriation and implementation of the hybrid mode of educa- ting, learning and assessing (key 10)”. 23

Citizenship Education is embodied in these aspects and its exercise is promoted not only as a subject or a cross-cutting issue in curricula but also as an essential element in the implementation of teaching and learning processes and the functioning of educational systems and institutions.

Within this frame of reference, this Report highlights a number of key issues. One of them (number 8) promotes the deepening of a global-local Citizenship Education that forges new ways of understanding and guiding life in society, avoids the reproduction of lifestyles that lead to planetary destruction and the exacerbation of inequalities and violence, and “(...) assumes a role of linkage and closeness between cultures, traditions, affiliations, countries and regions, converging in an effective of values and universal references, as well as the reduction of inequalities of different tenor and implications”.24 In addition, orientation number 9 recommends promoting an edu- cation that strengthens freedom and serves as a reservoir of democracy, fostering in students a critical, constructive and proactive spirit that questions the meanings of life and the ethical dilemmas we face in our daily lives and serves as a basis for making autonomous decisions. 25

Further on, the same document proposes for the design of curriculum axes and con- tents in emergency “To position Citizenship Education as a cross-cutting theme that combines the integration between civic education, traditionally focused on political issues, democracy and the exercise of rights and responsibilities as citizens, and civil education focused on the burning issues of society, on aspects of coexistence and on learning to live with others”.26 It also promotes “(...) that education for citizenship should also include knowledge and skills related to: (i) languages - at least native, Engli- sh and coding which basically imply having the skills required to program including the development of software, apps and websites-; (ii) scientific-technological literacy;

23 Opertti. Ibid, Page 4 24 Opertti, R, Ibid. page 11. 25 Opertti, R. Ibid. page 14. 26 Ibid. page 19. 18 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

(iii) understanding and transformation of society and the world; and (iv) appreciation of the diverse manifestations of cultures.” 27

As can be seen, the regional and international policy framework underpinning GCED is relatively recent in relation to other issues within the sustainable development agen- das. In any case, GCED is already firmly established as a relevant educational approach in the main international and regional agreements that guide educational policy prio- rities in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and, therefore, of SICA. Pro- moting its debate and implementation with a holistic and contextualized vision that, while seeking to empower people to reduce inequalities, promote human rights and peace, and build more cohesive societies, seeks to generate more democratic educa- tion systems, schools and classrooms, is a reflection of the efforts of countries to ensure access and full exercise of the right to quality, inclusive and equitable education for all.

27 Ibid. page 20. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 19

Key Conceptual Framework of Global Citizenship Education in times of COVID-19

The contemporary world, threatened by the acceleration of climate change, the growth of different forms of violence, economic slowdown, unemployment and changes in the world of work, the exacerbation of poverty and inequality, human rights violations, among other phenomena, challenges us to rethink development, consumption and production models, social relations and, therefore, education, its purposes and methodologies.

Since the beginning of the COVIDI-19 pandemic, the exercise of citizenship has chan- ged forever. The transformation of social relations has not only accelerated, but the paradigms of solidarity, cooperation, common good, individualism, distrust and iso- lation are simultaneously manifested in the individual, family and community life of people, who are learning to adapt to the uncertainty of new ways of life, study, work, entertainment, family and community coexistence and the care necessary to preserve their own and others’ health and well-being. People have also learned, or are trying to learn, to coexist with pain, grief, illness and loss resulting from the pandemic, which may include work and quality of life.

Undoubtedly, the strengthening of social relations has allowed us to develop our resi- lience, understanding that today the sense of belonging to a common humanity will allow us not only to recover and survive in the short and medium term, but also to 20 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

rebuild and address the challenges and impacts of the pandemic in a collective and collaborative way.

To this end, and considering the current scenario where we see the interrelationship between local, national, regional and global issues (and their solutions), the concept of GCED is of special interest. We live in the same world, in the same region, and our fulfill- ment as individuals depends on the fulfillment of others. Thus, the common good goes from being an ideal to becoming a condition for the achievement of a dignified life for all. Therefore, the concept of world citizenship, as proposed in this Report, implies a construction that recognizes the tensions between the local, national, regional and global, and at the same time, builds bridges by generating interrelationships between people to overcome them and strengthen joint action to address the phenomena that threaten our humanity. These interrelationships are inspired by common values and principles, such as intercultural understanding, solidarity, respect and recognition of human rights, diversity, equity and gender equality. Being rooted in our identities, his- tories and cultures, at the local, national or regional level, these common values and principles, far from contradicting or overriding them, serve as a basis for enhancing them in a culture of relationship and encounter with others, thus shaping the develop- ment of a sense of belonging to a common humanity. 28

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed education systems, curricula and teaching practi- ces in a situation of rethinking principles, values, attitudes and citizen behaviors, ma- king evident the need to implement transformative that prepare people for an active exercise of citizenship throughout their lives. It should enable them to be aware of and critically understand complex and changing contexts, that teaches them to coexist peacefully with others and to adapt to and survive uncertainty And on the basis of social relations that favor coexistence, dialogue and democratic delibera- tion, they can carry out individual and collective actions that contribute to positively transform their , countries, regions and the world and to resolve conflicts democratically, preventing all forms of violence.

In a region with a history and present of violence and conflicts that have affected the structuring of democratic regimes and the progress of democratization processes, the configuration and functioning of States and their capacity to guarantee human rights, promoting the implementation of the GCED could contribute to the efforts that coun- tries are already making to build a culture of democracy and peace, promote social cohesion, reduce divisions and increase belief and trust in institutions by generating opportunities for greater citizen participation in public decision-making.

GCED can ultimately contribute to raising awareness of the role that education plays in the development of countries, preparing people to build and strengthen social re-

28 Deardorff, Darla K; Kiwan, Dina; & Pak, Soon-Yong (2018). Global Citizenship Education: taking it local. UNESCO: Paris. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000265456 GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 21

lations on a daily basis through democratic coexistence that allows them to forge a present and future with greater well-being. It is this sense of belonging to a whole that inspires attitudes and behaviors towards the pursuit of the common good. GCED also provides people with the knowledge and tools to ensure that this search is inspired by notions of human rights, justice and peace, and, therefore, that existing divisions and inequalities are not reproduced.

Considering the importance of the achievements that Central American integration has had in the development of the countries, the GCED can also play a fundamental role in promoting a greater strengthening of a sense of regional identity and belon- ging, raising awareness and preparing people to strengthen ties between countries with a vision that greater well-being, peace and sustainability of democracies will only be possible if it takes place in all countries.

This chapter presents the essential conceptual elements on which this Report is based. The first part defines the concept of Citizenship Education in relation to civic education. Subsequently, the foundations, objectives, skills and learning outcomes of GCED and its connection to Rule of Law Education are presented. This is followed by a brief theoretical analysis of the encounters and challenges of Citizenship Education and GCED. Finally, the chapter closes with a reflection on the relevance of GCED in times of COVID-19. Citizenship Education The concept that has been most widely incorporated into the policy and curriculum design of the SICA countries is named as education for citizenship, education in citi- zenship or Citizenship Education.

Citizenship Education is often seen as a field for teaching and learning that goes be- yond educational institutions, involving families and communities, and creating oppor- tunities for lifelong practice. This subject is addressed, integrated and set crosswise in different grades and educational levels, in courses such as geography, history, social studies, religion, literature, science and environmental studies. Lately, subjects related to arts, culture and sports have also been a gateway to initiatives in this field, conside- ring their importance for the construction of coexistence and culture of peace.

For the purposes of this analysis, Citizenship Education is understood as an area of teaching and learning for children, young people and adults, both academic and extracurricular, focused on social, civic and political education, with the objective of achieving the formation and development of attitudes and values that enable people to participate in public affairs, to seek the common good and to practice various forms of social understanding in interpersonal relationships29.

29 Tawil, Sobhi (2013). Education for “global citizenship”. UNESCO: Paris. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/ pf0000223784_spa 22 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

That said, the broad nature of Citizenship Education gives rise to a variety of interpreta- tions and approaches. This diversity of interpretations forms a continuum of approaches to citizenship ranging from the most minimalist and conservative, aimed at reprodu- cing the existing social order, to others that are more ambitious and critical, aimed at adapting to change, or transforming the prevailing social dynamics.

The approaches often included in the category of “” or “civic education” focus on teaching about institutions, their functioning and the rules of political regimes and the processes of political and institutional participation (e.g., voting); the promotion of trust and loyalty towards them, the history of the social and political order; and knowledge about civil, political and social rights. On the other hand, the approaches better known as “education for citizenship” focus on promoting not only civic-electoral knowledge or action, but also consider the promotion of competencies and attitudes for coexistence and active participation in a constantly changing social, economic and political order, with the capacity to question and transform it.

While “civic education” is largely based on the teaching of national and cultural va- lues, Citizenship Education is inspired by ethical principles relating, at least in part, to civil, social and political30 rights. It is important to note that these two approaches are not separate or opposing categories, but represent essential components for the exercise of active, responsible, informed citizenship com- mitted to the rule of law. For this reason, it is essential that Citizenship Education promotes the integration of civic education and education for citizenship, so that it includes “(...) critical knowledge about the functioning of the State and its institutions, principles, rules and the process of institutional politics within the framework of a democratic regime, including electoral participation (political), as well as the generation of democratic skills and attitudes, such as respect for and commitment to human rights, social equity, gender equality, solidarity, em- pathy and coexistence with others, appreciation and recognition of diversity, and the promotion of other forms of citizen participation (social-community). In other words, it is a synthesis of both perspectives, aiming at education for an adequate relationship with the political system and for life in community. This complementary approach promotes the students’ thoughtful and critical capacity, which allows them to question the existing normative frameworks and constructively propose new forms of social organization. In other words, it seeks to generate in the students a transformative involvement with respect to the main challenges facing their communities, countries and the world. In this way, the proposed Citizenship Education integrates the civic and civil domains at the

30 Jaramillo, R. and Murillo Castaño, G. (2013) Educación y pensamiento crítico para la construcción de ciudadanía: Una Apuesta al Fortalecimiento Democrático en las Américas. Organization of American States: Washington D.C. Available at: https://www. viaeducacion.org/downloads/ap/ecd/educacion_pensamiento_critico.pdf GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 23

cognitive (knowledge and ), behavioral (capacities for action) and socioemotional (sense of belonging) levels.” 31 The Foundations of Global Citizenship Education

The concept of GCED was included as one of the three priority areas in the “Glo- bal Education First Initiative”32 document, launched in 2012 by then United Na- tions Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, in favor of achieving quality, relevant and transformative education. The other areas prioritized were getting all children into school and improving the quality of learning.

The aforementioned document states that GCED main objective is to foster the awareness of being citizens of the world. Thus, it states that “Education must be transformative and give life to shared values. It must instill an active interest in the world and those with whom we share it. Education must also provide relevant answers to today’s major issues. Technological solutions, political regu- lation or financial instruments alone cannot achieve sustainable development. A transformation of our way of thinking and acting is required. Education must fully assume its leading role and help people forge more just, peaceful, tolerant and inclusive societies. It must provide people with the knowledge, skills and values they need to cooperate and jointly solve the interconnected problems of the 21st century.” 33

The document called for preparing students not only for exams but also for life, and therefore for placing respect and responsibility among cultures, countries and regions at the center of education, making its content and purposes more relevant and pertinent to daily life and introducing innovative and participa- tory teaching and learning styles. In addition, the document affirmed the im- portance of having curricula and educational materials that do not reinforce or exacerbate social divisions and discrimination. It also called for strengthening the training of teachers and school administrators so that they can be an example of the competencies they want students to develop, and for creating spaces in educational institutions to lead these changes, involving the active participation of the members of their communities.

The adoption of SDG 4 target 4.7 enshrined and expanded the priority areas of this initiative, integrating GCED into the goals that need to be achieved to ensure quali-

31 UNDP (2021). 12 Keys to strengthen citizenship education in Chile. Santiago de Chile: United Nations Development Program. Page 23.

32 To learn more, see https://www.GCEDclearinghouse.org/sites/default/files/resources/%5BSPA%5D%20Global%20Educa- tion%20First%20Initiative.pdf 33 Ibid. page 21. 24 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

ty, inclusive and equitable education that promotes sustainable development. GCED concept was thus anchored in the need to make education a means to transform peo- ple, give life to shared values, and forge a new way of relating to each other, between people, communities and countries that favors an understanding of how the world’s problems are interrelated and that we must unite as citizens, strengthening our ties so that they can be solved. The vision of the Education 2030 Agenda realizes that a “good education” is more than just a means of access to the labor market, and the GCED ens- hrines the humanistic vision of education and development.

Accordingly, GCED is presented as a new approach that seeks to strengthen and ex- pand the integrated implementation of civic and Citizenship Education by highlighting the importance of social relations as a basis for understanding, learning to live and act in a complex world. Nowadays the exacerbation of inequalities and different forms of violence reflect the challenges arising from the tensions between economic, political, social, cultural, technological processes taking place at the local, national, regional and global levels.

Despite the differences in conceptual interpretation, there is a common understanding that GCED does not imply a legal status. At the same time as promoting critical and integral thinking about these realities, GCED seeks to awaken, raise awareness and pro- mote the exercise of a sense of belonging and identity to different communities, from which one can act in favor of individual and collective well-being. Thus, GCED aims to develop in people, socioemotional skills such as , humanity, solidarity, which inspire a sense of responsibility to act individually and collectively in favor of , human rights and the resolution of inequalities. The GCSE fosters an education that, recognizing the tensions that prevail in the world, seeks to build political, social and cultural relationships between people around common meanings that favor dia- logue in diversity, intercultural understanding, living together in peace and promoting actions that address the challenges that affect the world.

To achieve the above, education systems must not only implement teaching approa- ches focused on people as subjects of rights and agents of change. But also, a holistic, contextualized, pertinent and relevant vision that, in addition to integrating the cog- nitive and behavioral skills promoted by civic and Citizenship Education, incorporates socioemotional skills as the basis and foundation for the construction of knowledge, behaviors and attitudes. This is the major contribution of GCED. The critical challenges of present and future generations can only be truly addressed with integrated and co- hesive communities at all levels, local, national, regional and global. So, the question that inspires GCED is: how can we foster and strengthen that kind of communities?

In the Central American context, the rationale for promoting the implementation of the GCED, and reinforcing the efforts already made in the area of Citizenship Education, is based on the importance of supporting the actions taken by the countries to expand GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 25

the right to access quality, inclusive and equitable education, especially for vulnera- ble populations. It is also based in historical and current processes that require greater efforts to build a culture of peace, resolve conflicts peacefully, improve governance and the representativeness of institutions, and rebuild and strengthen social relations and cohesion. Education plays a central role in the path to greater democratization of poli- tical, social and economic relations, and especially GCED can contribute to developing in people the knowledge, values, principles and behaviors that will empower them to make transformations that improve their own well-being and that of others, inspired by a sense of belonging to and responsibility for a common humanity. Learning Objectives and Domains of Global Citizenship Education The objective of the GCED is to provide competencies and ethical values for preparing students, youth and adults to empower themselves as active agents, transformers and builders of a common humanity.

In the current context, GCED acquires a new and powerful relevance, as it expresses a sense of belonging and support to a broader community, a common humanity, a global humanity. It involves training and education to build political, social and cultu- ral interdependence and interconnectedness among people. It fosters to articulate at local, national, regional and global levels the construction of common meanings that identify us as people living in the same world and facing similar challenges that affect or will affect us in the present or future. The South African expression “Ubuntu” synthe- sizes this idea from a humanistic point of view: “I am because we are, we are because I am”. This sentence, in addition to expressing a sense of belonging to a common whole, expresses that the self-fulfillment of a person can only be possible if the others achieve also personal fulfillment. In this sense, the problems or challenges faced by individuals, communities, countries, regions or the world are not isolated individual or group pro- blems. Regardless of where they occur, the threat to peace, well-being and the diffe- rent forms of violence affect us all, and our duty is to take responsibility for ourselves, for others and for the common home in which we live.

The main pedagogical objectives adopted by GCED are also defined in the “Framework for Action of the Incheon Declaration”, which states that “GCED aims to equip learners with the following core skills:

a) A deep knowledge of global issues and universal values such as justice, equali- ty, dignity and respect.

b) Cognitive skills to think critically, systemically and creatively, including adopting a multi-perspective approach that recognizes different dimension, perspectives and angles of issues. 26 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

c) Non-cognitive skills including social skills such as empathy and conflict reso- lution, and communicative skills and aptitudes for networking and interacting with people of different backgrounds, origins, cultures and perspectives.

d) Behavioural capacities to act collaboratively and responsibly, and to strive for collective good. ” 34

The following chart proposed by UNESCO summarizes the above and proposes lear- ning outcomes for GCED:

Figure 1: Conceptual domains and learning outcomes of the GCED 35 Cognitive Domain Knowledge and thinking skills necessary to better understand the world and its complexities Learner learning outcomes: . Learners acquire knowledge and understanding of local, national and global issues and the interconnectedness and interdependency of different countries and populations.

. Learners develop skills for critical thinking and analysis. Socioemotional Domain Socio-emotional: values, attitudes and social skills that enable learners to develop affectively, psychosocially, and physically and to enable them to live together with others respectfully and peacefully. Learner learning outcomes: • Learners experience a sense of belonging to a common humanity, sharing values and • responsibilitiess, based on human rights • Learners develop attitudes of empathy, solidarity and respect for differences and diversity Behavioral Domain Conduct, performance, practical application and engagement.. Learner learning outcomes: • Learners act effectively and responsibly at local, national and global levels for a more peaceful and sustainable world • Learners develop and willingness to take necessary actions

34 UNESCO (2015). Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action for the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities. Available at: http://uis. unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/education-2030-incheon-framework-for-action-implementation-of-sdg4-2016- en_2.pdf.. 35 Source: UNESCO (2015) Global Citizenship Education: Topics and Learning Objectives. UNESCO: Paris. Available at https://unesdoc. unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000232993 GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 27

GCED seeks to prepare people to develop skills, attitudes and values on a daily basis, and in every space for showing empathy, commitment and solidarity with other peo- ple. The exercise of citizenship is then a daily individual and collective act that promo- tes in every environment and space the sense of belonging to a common humanity, through the defense and protection of human rights, the construction of a culture of peace and the prevention of all forms of violence.

The organization of GCED learning in these domains seeks to promote an integral approach that evidences the permanent need to deepen their interrelationship. Thus, the decision-making processes that are fostered through the learning of skills related to the behavioral domain must integrate and result from the learning of cognitive and socioemotional skills.

In synthesis, it is about teaching people that decision-making processes must be based on critical knowledge of the problems, with a view to their solution, proposing actions based on the values and principles mentioned above36.

In view of the above, GCED requires us to rethink the why of education, the what, the how, and the where we teach and educate. It is not just a new content, but a new peda- gogical approach that considers lifelong and life-wide learning, with a sense not only of prominence but also of responsibility for ourselves, for others and for the “whole” in which we live.

Holistic approaches to GCED require formal and informal approaches, curricular andex- tracurricular interventions, and conventional and non-conventional avenues for par- ticipation. Given its flexibility, components of GCED can be incorporated into existing education interventions. In school contexts, GCED can be taught as an integral part of a subject (such as civics or Citizenship Education, social studies, environmental studies, geography, or culture), or as a stand-alone subject. An additional element is that, because of the historical context of several SICA coun- tries in conflict and post-conflict situations, GCED embodies many of the principles of conflict sensitive education and can support nation (re)building, social cohesion and positive values in children and37 young people.

36 UNESCO & UNODC (2019) Strengthening the rule of law through education: a guide for policymakers. Available: https://www. unodc.org/documents/e4j/UNESCO/UNODC-UNESCO_Guide_for_Policymakers_Spanish.pdf 37 Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), Guidance Note on Conflict-Sensitive Education, New York (2013). 28 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

GCED for strengthening democracy and the rule of law This document also incorporates the relationship between educa- tion, democracy and the rule of law and the culture of legality as an integral aspect of the GCED. “GCED to promote From the rule of law perspective, through education, students are the use of a wide expected to acquire and develop the cognitive, socioemotional and behavioral experiences and skills necessary to become constructive range of active and and responsible actors in society. In this sense, it is recognized that participatory methods education contributes to strengthen the rule of law38: that engage learners • To ensure the development and acquisition of the knowledge, in critical analysis of values, attitudes and behaviors that are fundamental to streng- complex global issues, thening the rule of law. and the development • Support students to move from “learning about” the rule of law of skills such as to “learning to” act, committing to values and responsibilities based on human rights, being compelled to make informed de- communication, cisions, feeling empowered to repel threats to the rule of law, cooperation and and being able to act and participate in processes of change to that promote the rule of law. solve these problems.” • Make learning speak to the real problems and dilemmas of young people experiencing difficulties related to the rule of law.

38 Ibid. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 29

Youth perspectives on Citizenship Education and GCED Based on the first dialogue (September 2020), both youth participants and policymakers identified a series of challenges for the implementation of Citizenship Education in the education systems of the CECC-SICA countries. Of the 39 concepts, One of the main challenges expressed by the young participants is distributed in the the low priority or limited effectiveness of Citizenship Education in curricula and teaching-learning practices in the classroom. five areas described, it can be seen that In light of the 2030 Agenda, as discussed in the previous chapter, Tar- the results of the get 4.7 speaks of GCED but one of its challenges is how to implement it at different territorial levels. The youth participants proposed the SICA countries are existence of a balance between global, regional, national, and local quite similar when actions, especially because - in an increasingly interconnected world compared to the - these levels complement each other. LAC region, with An opportunity identified by youth participants in the first dialogue, the exception of and reaffirmed during the second dialogue (November 2020) is for the concepts of GCED to promote the use of a wide range of active and participatory methods that engage learners in critical analysis of complex global equity, dialogue and issues, and the development of skills such as communication, coope- collaboration, which ration and conflict resolution to solve these problems. Young people are much more recognize that this can be a challenge for many formal education sys- present in the SICA tems with hierarchical teaching models and learning environments. Although GCED involves resisting the status quo and imagining alter- curricula compared native futures, this should be seen and presented as a positive challen- to the LAC average, ge that can enrich and broaden cultural, local and national identities. and those of happiness, plurality and interculturality, which are more absent. 30 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

“In summary, the topics addressed in the Strategy are: human rights, diversity and multiculturalism, democracy, historical memory, and the culture of peace. Concomitantly, there is a process of follow up and pedagogical accompaniment, and a process of evaluation and systematization.” GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 31

Citizenship Education in SICA countries

As presented in the previous chapter, the SICA region has officially adopted the interna- tional commitments of the 2030 Agenda and the terminology of the GCED in its Central American Education Policy 2013-2030. For their part, most SICA countries, although they have already integrated many of the conceptual elements of the GCED, do not explicitly incorporate it. Therefore, for purposes of consistency with the conceptual framework most used by the countries, in this chapter we will refer mainly to citizen education initiatives that have been implemented in SICA countries.

The following is a brief diagnosis of SICA’s education systems in the broader context of Latin America and the Caribbean, and for some selected indicators, of other regions of the world that show the challenge of integrating Citizenship Education in education systems with gaps in quality and access that remain to be addressed. This dimension of analysis is included because for Citizenship Education to be of quality, the must become a reality. Following this overview, we present the main citizen education initiatives shared by the SICA countries in the two virtual dialogues held in September and November 2020, mentioned at the beginning of the document. 32 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

Curriculum analysis of GCED in CECC-SICA countries In this section, we present some results of the analysis of the presence of central con- cepts of GCED in the curricula of third and sixth grade of primary education in Latin American countries, carried out in preparation for the Regional Comparative and Ex- planatory Study (ERCE)39 conducted by the Latin American Laboratory for Assessment of the Quality of Education (LLECE) of OREALC/UNESCO Santiago. The curriculum analy- sis will help us to know what students are expected to learn in the SICA countries. It will also help us to identify those concepts and topics that are emphasized in the primary education curricula of SICA countries, and those that are not, based on the 2030 Edu- cation Agenda and Target 4.7.

In order to carry out this curriculum analysis, broad generative concepts associated with the GCED were identified that could include content, values or skills. The globa- lizing concepts that guided the analysis of the GCED can be organized into five areas with 39 associated concepts, which seek to account for content areas and make it possible to identify areas in which countries present advances or challenges beyond the presence or absence of references to a particular concept. Figure 4 shows the presence of each globalizing concept by area in the group of SICA countries.

Of the 39 concepts, distributed in the five areas described, it can be seen that the re- sults of the SICA countries are quite similar when compared to the LAC region, with the exception of the concepts of equity, dialogue and collaboration, which are much more present in the SICA curricula compared to the LAC average, and those of happiness, plurality and interculturality, which are more absent.

39 UNESCO Santiago (2020) “What are students in Latin America and the Caribbean expected to learn? Curriculum analysis of the Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (ERCE 2019)”. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 33

Figure 2. Results of the presence of World Citizenship concepts in curricula of SICA and Latin American countries.40

Categories Concepts CECC SICA Latin American Elements of Responsibility 100 % 100 % citizenship Identity Rights 100 % 95% Democracy Participation 100 % 95 % Community 86% Justice 79 % Equality 71% Equity 74 % Freedom 71 % 58 % Knowledge of the world 57 % Fraternity 53 % Tolerance 0 % 5 % Solidarity 100 % 100 % How to live together Respect (values) Dialogue 100 % 95 % Collaboration Values 100 % 84 % Peace 86% Non-Discrimination 79 % Inclusion 86% Creativity 71% 74 % Living together 71 % Dignity 68 % 57% Plurality 63 % Empathy 43 % 42 % Happiness 0 % 16 % Diversity 100 % 100 % Globalization Globalization 71% 74 % and diversity Interculturality 57% 63 % Knowledge about 29 % 37 % the world Competencies for 86% 89 % Troubleshooting 74 % the exercise of global Critical thinking citizenship 71% Logical thinking 57% 58% Use of ICT Decision-making 57% 53 % Gender equity Reflective thinking

Source: UNESCO Santiago (2020) “What are students in Latin America and the Caribbean expected to learn? Curriculum analysis of the Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (ERCE 2019)”. 34 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

In SICA countries, the main curriculum challenge for advancing GCED teaching in line with the 2030 Education Agenda has to do with the inclusion of global citizenship skills at the programmatic level. This area has a programmatic coverage of only 33 %, as can be seen in Figure 3. In any case, all conceptual dimensions of GCED in terms of values on how to live together, globalization and diversity, elements of citizenship and gen- der equity, present important opportunities for strengthening curricula with less than 60% programmatic coverage.

Figure 3. Results of the presence of World Citizenship concepts in curricula of SICA and Latin American countries

Results of programmatic coverage of CCA areas in SICA countries Recognizing that presence at the programmatic level is important because of its greater proximity to the classroom, how covered is each area at that level?

Programmatic coverage of 59 per cent. That is, 9 out of 15 concepts How to live together values tend to be addressed at the 59 % programmatic level.

Programmatic coverage of 57 per cent. That is, 2 out of 4 concepts Globalization and diversity tend to be addressed at the 57 % programmatic level.

Programmatic coverage of 55 per cent. That is, 8 out of 14 concepts Elements of citizenship tend to be addressed at the 55 % programmatic level.

Programmatic coverage of 43%. That is, this concept tends to be Gender equity absent at the programmatic level. 43 %

Programmatic coverage of 33 per cent. That is, 2 out of 6 concepts Skills tend to be addressed at the 33 % programmatic level.

Source: UNESCO Santiago (2020) “What are students in Latin America and the Caribbean expected to learn? Curriculum analysis of the Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (ERCE 2019)”. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 35

Citizen education initiatives in SICA countries The SICA countries have a history of working together on Citizenship Education for more than 15 years. According to CECC-SICA, one of the most important references has been the Central American Network of Education in Values for Citizenship and Demo- cracy, which was promoted at the Preparatory Technical Meeting of the “Central Ame- rican Program for Citizenship, Democracy and Values in Plural Societies” (OEI, July 2005, San Salvador). Given the historical context of Central America, convulsed by political conflicts and phenomena of violence, the education authorities understood from that moment the importance of prioritizing education in the values of peace, citizenship, democracy and social coexistence in educational policies, curricula and teacher training.

Below, we present the main advances of each of the SICA countries regarding the in- clusion of Citizenship Education topics in their educational systems, as reported by each country in the 1st Regional Dialogue on a Policy for Citizenship Education, held on September 17, 2020, and considering also the information from direct interviews with officials of the Ministries of Education of the countries that granted them (Belize, Honduras and Dominican Republic).

Belize

In 2018, the government of Belize launched the Belizean Studies digital platform, which is a new subject within the curriculum reform adopted that year at various levels of the education system. In 2019, the first teacher training seminar was held in order to provide them with knowledge and tools to implement the Belizean Studies sub- ject. This implementation process has included ongoing support to the teaching staff by providing sample lesson plans describing the proposed pedagogical approaches and assessment tools, as well as the organization of face-to-face and virtual awareness events to sensitize teachers, students and the general public.

In the Belizean education system, GCED falls under the umbrella of Education for Sustainable Development. In addition, the Belizean Studies curriculum incorpo- rates key elements of GCED, such as cultural identity, human rights, rule of law, harmonious coexistence and negotiation skills in global environments.

Costa Rica The Costa Rican education system has a systemic approach to the issue of GCED that is based on the creation in 2009 of the Directorate of Student Life, whose priority areas are coexistence, participation, artistic, sports and cultural expression. In 2013, the Programs of Studies by Competencies (, Aesthetics and Citizenship) were created and in 2015 the Curriculum Policy Educating for a 36 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

New Citizenship was approved (Agreement No 03-57-2016), which was ac- companied by the document: “Educating for a new citizenship: foun- dation of the Costa Rican curriculum transformation”41.

This process continued in 2018 starting the implementation of a “...which new evaluation system, and in 2020 the Costa Rican Higher Edu- orders the cation Council approved the Education for Sustainable Development Policy and its action plan that includes references to the GCED. implementation The ‘Curriculum Policy Educating for a New Citizenship’ defines se- of the necessary veral domains and skills completely aligned with GCED: new ways of thinking (critical and systemic); ways of living in the world (global and policies, including local citizenship, coexistence, multiculturalism and plurietnia); ways of relating to other people; and tools for integrating into the world training in (digital technologies). Likewise, 6 Principles and Axes were establi- values and shed, 4 of them directly linked to citizenship and GCED: Education based on human rights and citizens’ duties, Education for Sustainable citizenship. This Development (ESD), planetary citizenship with national identity, and is concretized in digital citizenship with social equity. In addition, extensive teacher training processes have been carried the Fundamental out, a diagnosis of the access of students to technology and three Law of Education, student dialogues in which the principles and values of the GCED are part of the content and the process of its organization. assuming: principles of El Salvador El Salvador has initiated a long-term educational curriculum transfor- democracy and mation, including teacher training, where civic culture and citizens- plurality, dialogue hip issues are a priority with an approach to the integration process to a national culture along with a Central American identity. and participation”. Another relevant reference is that, in 2017, the project “Exchange of pedagogical experiences between El Salvador and Chile to streng- then citizenship training and democratic coexistence” was launched, as part of the Continuing Education Program for Teachers, of the El Salvador Ministry of Education, which resulted in 2 joint publications from the National Institute of Teacher Training (INFOD) and the Unit of Teacher Knowledges of the University of Chile: “Educating for Ci- tizenship: Foundations, Methodologies and Teachers’ Professional

41 Ministry of Education of Costa Rica (2015). Educating for a new citizenship. Available at: https://idp. mep.go.cr/sites/all/files/idp_mep_go_cr/publicaciones/7-2016_educar_para_una_nueva_ciu- dadaniafinal.pdf GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 37

Development” and “Education and Democracy: Citizenship Training for Today’s School”.

Guatemala In 2010, Guatemala created the Program, which included the implementation of a “Peace and Toolkit” for teachers, with the support of the UNESCO Office in Guatemala, as well as the preparation of curriculum guidelines and training workshops for technical staff and tea- chers between 2012 and 2014.

As of 2015, the Technical Roundtable on Education for Peace, Histori- cal Memory and Human Rights began to operate, under the guidan- ce of a Ministerial Commission on Citizen Training, which in 2017 pro- moted the National Strategy for Citizen Education. For this purpose, a teacher and technical training process was carried out, and a series of Didactic Guides for all educational levels and an implementation route (2015-2019) were elaborated, also with UNESCO support .

In the context of COVID-19, this same Technical Table has carried out the elaboration and implementation of Citizen Education Self-Lear- ning Guides in an innovative way through WhatsApp.

In terms of content, the competencies that the National Citizenship Education Strategy seeks to develop are:

a) To critically use the knowledge of historical processes from the perspective of the cultural diversity of the country and the world to understand the present and build the future.

b) Use different forms of communication and negotiation as a means of conflict prevention, resolution and transformation, paying respect to cultural and opinion differences.

c) Respect, know and promote the culture and cosmovision of the Garifuna, Ladino, Maya and Xinca peoples, as well as the peoples of the world.

Regarding this last competency, curriculum planning has been ca- rried out at the regional level for the Mayan, Garifuna and Xinca peo- ple, with an emphasis on the culture of peace.

In summary, the topics addressed in the Strategy are: human rights, diversity and multiculturalism, democracy, historical memory, and 38 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

the culture of peace. Concomitantly, there is a process of follow-up and pedagogical accompaniment, and a process of evaluation and systematization.

Finally, we have implemented training and capacity building actions for teachers and technical personnel at different levels, the elaboration of educational materials, and the implementation of initiatives that include Citizenship Education, such as school governments, the initiative of deputies, judges and mayors for a day, and a violence prevention program in schools.

Honduras In the case of Honduras, Citizenship Education is established in the Law for the Es- tablishment of a Country Vision and the Adoption of a National Plan for Honduras42, which orders the implementation of the necessary policies, including training in values and citizenship. This is concretized in the Fundamental Law of Education, assuming: principles of democracy and plurality, dialogue and participation. More specifically, an Education Sector Plan 2018-2022 has been established, which mandates “access and inclusion of the most disadvantaged, which will contribute to curb violence, build pea- ce and form citizenship”.

At the level of the Basic National Curriculum, the cross-cutting contents of “Education for Coexistence, Peace and Citizenship” are established in the curriculum areas of Social Sciences (Ethical and Citizenship Formation) and physical education, recreation and educational sports for peace and citizenship. As for the Youth and Adult Education Pro- grams, it is indicated to achieve an “effective right to democratic citizenship”. This has been complemented with a Diploma in Human Rights for teachers with the support of the OEI.

Support programs have been implemented with a focus on citizenship training, such as student governments. Another key initiative is the Children’s Congress (23 held), where for children and adolescents are proposed and initiatives are made, and 128 depu- ties have been elected (5 with disabilities) in 18 departments.

There is also the “Peace, Coexistence and Citizenship Program”, which aims to facilitate a protective of an environment free of violence, as well as the promotion of child and adolescent, family and community leadership. This proposal is accompanied by the “Program for the Prevention of Irregular Migration” to work on the rights of migrants, which included a guide for educational insertion and reinsertion.

Finally, we have continued to carry out a “Citizenship Education in times of COVID” pro- gram which includes national dialogues with civic participation.

42 To learn more, see http://www.hondurasemb.org/boletines-de-prensa/9_septiembre_2010/RESUMEN_DEL_VISION_DE_ PAIS_Y__PLAN_DE_NACION,_AGOSTO_2010.pdf GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 39

Nicaragua In the Nicaraguan educational system, the priority is to strengthen socioemotional skills, specifically the culture of peace and human rights. The focus is on “strengthening values in the family, school and community to generate peaceful coexistence, respect, unity and harmony”.

Part of the educational strategy has consisted in the appropriation and defen- se of children’s rights through human rights training for teachers. In addition, booklets have been produced for primary and secondary school on “Rights and Responsibilities of Children and Adolescents for Peace and Living Well”.

Citizenship is integrated into the curriculum in elementary and middle school, directly in the subject Growing in Values. This whole process is supported by the “Counseling of the Educational Communities” in different actions and educatio- nal strategies for harmonious coexistence.

Panama In the Panamanian educational curriculum, one of the competencies of General Basic and is Social and Citizenship Competency: “Makes it possible to understand the social reality in which the students live, cooperate, coexist and exercise democratic citizenship in a pluralistic society, as well as to commit them to contribute to its improvement”.

In the context of COVID-19, a Curriculum in Emergency was adopted, the preparation of which was based on a participatory diagnosis of learning needs and demands. Lear- ning needs were defined by rights, and one of the competencies selected was “Citizens- hip with a focus on human behavior”.

The Population and Human Rights Education Office defines two key areas of citizen education: Area 1. Promotion of gender and violence prevention, Area 2.

Citizenship Education is also included in curricula from preschool through twelfth gra- de. It is included in subjects such as civics, history, geography, family and community development, religion, morals and values.

In addition, together with the Dominican Republic, Panama participated in the “Citizenship for Coexistence and Peace at School” project promoted by the An- drés Bello Agreement for member countries. 40 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

Dominican Republic In the document “Basis for reviewing and updating Curriculum” (2016), Citizens- hip Education has been prioritized as one of the main axes of the Dominican educational system. “Ethical and Citizenship Competence” was defined as the first of the fundamental competencies, as follows: “The person relates to others with respect, justice and equity, in the personal, social and institutional spheres; critically questions practices that violate human rights, the use of violence in any situation, and transforms social relations and norms based on the principles of participatory democracy”.

Together with Panama, the country participated in the “Citizenship for Coexis- tence and Peace at School” project promoted by the Andrés Bello Agreement (CAB, 2016) for member countries.

Finally, at the time of publication of this Report, an extracurricular initiative en- titled Citizen Chairs is in the initial phase, whose mission is to strengthen Citizen Competencies related to participation and coexistence in a democratic socie- ty, and competencies related to identity and healthy national pride, as well as appreciation, possible contribution and enjoyment of heritage and universal culture.

Conclusions

In general, as it can be seen, SICA countries have included, with different levels of prio- rity and approaches, elements of Citizenship Education in education policies, curricula and teacher training. Although the concept of “GCED” explicitly and as official termino- logy is not yet widespread (with the exception of Costa Rica), the domains of learning that it promotes are present; specifically, the most incorporated in SICA’s curricula and educational actions refers to education for peace and peaceful coexistence. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 41

How to Strengthen Citizenship Education in SICA Countries

All SICA countries include Citizenship Education in their educational systems. Based on the dialogue processes organized and interviews with some of the countries in the region, recommendations for its strengthening are presented. In line with the Central American Educational Policy, the Contingency Plan and its Recommendations, and the Education 2030 Agenda, suggested recommendations seek to support the efforts of the countries to advance in the strengthening of democratic citizenship competencies in their population, as part of the full exercise of the right to a quality, inclusive and equitable education.

To facilitate the presentation of these contributions, they have been categorized into six essential areas: educational policy, curriculum, teachers, educational center, com- munity and evaluation.

a. Educational policy area: strengthening the multisectoral nature of Citizenship Education

It is clear that the task of educating citizens of the world is one that the education sec- tor alone cannot achieve. The collaboration of different sectors, levels and with diffe- rent actors is necessary to achieve lasting educational results. The exercise of citizens- hip is daily and it is not possible to divide its expressions and manifestations in school, non-formal, community or home environments. The exercise of citizenship crosses and integrates all of them, in which it is key that there be equal opportunities for individual and collective actions of incidence, dissent, and consensus building around the collec- tive good.

Therefore, alliances should be considered between the education sector and other go- vernment institutions (for example, the justice, social development, electoral and envi- ronmental sectors), civil society and the private sector, in order to implement compo- 42 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

nents to raise awareness and strengthen citizenship competencies and skills not only in children and young people, but also in adults, with a view to lifelong and life-wide learning. To this end, it is also essential that institutions integrate democratic practices into their operating, management and governance culture, providing opportunities for people to participate, to express their voice and influence decision-making processes re- lated to their destinies, including the design, implementation and monitoring of policies.

According to the above, at the level of educational policies, initiatives could be promo- ted to strengthen the development of institutional educational projects at the level of Schools, which favor, through the implementation of solidarity learning and service ini- tiatives (for example, involving project-based learning), a greater integration of schools and colleges in the communities, and in turn a mobilization of the communities su- rrounding the educational institutions with the participation of students, teachers, school administrators and families.

Likewise, the organization of intersectoral and interinstitutional groups, networks or working groups could be promoted at the national and regional levels to foster dia- logue and recommendations on how to promote and strengthen citizen training for coexistence and social and political participation.

b. Curriculum area:

b.1) potential contributions of GCED to SICA curricula In terms of curriculum content, there is an opportunity to strengthen the main exis- ting programs such as peace education, which has been included in almost all SICA countries, with the more universal approach proposed by the GCED, which does not imply eclipsing the national perspective but expanding it to encompass contemporary global challenges. According to the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable De- velopment, this means, on the one hand, providing knowledge and tools to students to understand the complexity and interrelationship between political, economic, social, environmental, etc. phenomena and their manifestation - causes and impacts - at the local, regional and global levels. It should be noted that GCED fosters the development of critical and complex thinking that integrates, respects and recognizes the diverse histories, cultures and identities of populations as the basis for the construction and exercise of citizenship and, therefore, of the approaches they take to realities, their pro- blems and challenges.

It means educating students not only to be aware of human rights and fundamental freedoms, but also to prepare them for advocacy and participation in their defense, promotion and protection. In the most economically unequal region of the world (the SICA countries as part of Latin America and the Caribbean), this implies educating to GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 43

advocate for more equitable, inclusive, peaceful and socially just societies, better pre- pared to mitigate and recover from the impacts of crises such as the one we are expe- riencing nowadays.

Based on the data from the aforementioned curriculum analysis study prepared for the ERCE 2019, several key concepts of global citizenship have been identified that can be reinforced in the curricula of the SICA countries. First, no SICA country has explicitly in- corporated the concept of fraternity, which is a universal that the constitutions of the countries recognize the importance of. We identified as absent the concept of hap- piness, which traditionally has not been associated with citizenship, however, from the literature of contemporary psychology and sociology it is recognized as a key concept to address the broader issue of peaceful and harmonious coexistence. It is also notable that only one third (29%) of citizenship programs incorporate the concept of knowle- dge of the world. Most SICA countries tend to treat civic issues limited to their borders and do not open their eyes to more international dynamics. Finally, the concepts of plurality and empathy are found in less than half of the curricula. All of these themes and concepts present an opportunity to be integrated into future curriculum reforms. b.2. Incorporating the socioemotional and behavioral domains All Ministries of Education in the region recognize the importance of addressing the 3 domains of GCED shown in Box 1 of this document. However, a pending task of all SICA countries that was made visible by the youth and representatives of several countries that participated in the dialogues, is the lack of integration of the socioemotional, be- havioral and health and well-being domains in the curricula, in the applied in the classroom and in the evaluation systems. Regarding the latter, the impact of the pandemic on the increase of different forms of violence against children, adolescents and other vulnerable populations, as well as on people’s mental health - due to situa- tions of confinement and isolation, violence itself, grief and the illness of oneself, family, friends or members of the community - require greater efforts to be made in education. If Citizenship Education has among its objectives to encourage the development of an awareness and sense of belonging to a humanity that is built every day on the diversity of identities, experiences, histories and cultures of all people, it is essential to promote the exercise of citizenship that encourages care for oneself and others, affection for oneself and for others, because these are the foundations of social relations that allow us not only to live together but also to build a better world with equity and inclusion.

Future and ongoing curriculum reforms have the opportunity to incorporate these do- mains in a more effective way and with a comprehensive vision of citizenship learning and practice. To achieve this, it will also be key for this vision to permeate the initial and ongoing training of teachers, school administration and other education personnel, as well as the management and governance of educational institutions with a participa- 44 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

tory vision in decision-making processes. The latter should provide opportunities for building and strengthening social relations among all members of educational com- munities - creating safe, inclusive, peaceful learning environments that respect and recognize diversity - and between these members and the communities surrounding educational institutions.

For the purposes of recommendations a.b.1 and b.2, and considering the agreements that have been reached at the regional level regarding the prioritization of this issue in the public education agenda, and in particular the recently adopted Contingency Plan, it is proposed that SICA countries build consensus around the development of a regional curriculum framework that provides the countries with guidelines to review and strengthen their curricula in this area.

An instrument such as this, in addition to contributing to regional integration in terms of educational policies, associated with the type of skills and competencies that people should have in order to actively participate in the development of their communities, countries and SICA, would strengthen the Central American identity and reinforce the role of education in development models and in achieving societies with more equi- ty, social justice, sustainability, inclusion and peace. The importance of following up on the implementation of the guidelines of the regional framework could lead to the creation of a mechanism for work, exchange and collaboration among the Ministries of Education of the SICA countries on this specific topic, which may include the parti- cipation of other relevant actors who, under their leadership, could support the coun- tries in its implementation. Furthermore, the implementation of this instrument at the national level could also contribute to create spaces or mechanisms for dialogue and work that integrate the voices of different actors and sectors that contribute not only to adapt this regional framework, but also to its implementation in formal, non-formal and informal educational spaces.

It will also be essential that, based on the aforementioned regional framework, de- bates can be promoted and recommendations formulated to strengthen both initial and continuing teacher training, as well as the development of indicators to monitor student learning achievements.

c. Teachers field: Prioritize initial and in-service teacher training A recommendation that has been insistently pointed out by students, teachers and technicians consulted for this Report, is the need to prioritize the quality of initial and in-service teacher training. The transforming pedagogy that the SICA countries have assumed to adopt from the Central American Educational Policy, requires new teaching-learning models for the teaching staff that prioritize contents on theories, methodologies and teaching experiences focused on the student body, as well as the creation of opportunities for the development of practices in school contexts with GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 45

diversity, and in relation to the communities surrounding the educational institutions. Training processes that also encourage the development of collaboration between tea- chers of different subjects and promote the evaluation, systematization and exchange of practices.

In this sense, and in line with the Contingency Plan, it is recommended to promote a re- gional research on how Citizenship Education is integrated into initial and continuous teacher training, including elements and perspectives of GCED. Based on these conclu- sions, a working group could be formed with Ministries of Education, teacher training institutions and civil society in order to identify recommendations that contribute to the design of initial and continuous teacher training alternatives at both national and regional levels, as well as to facilitate the articulation of efforts for their implementation in face-to-face, distance or hybrid modalities. These training alternatives could consti- tute in this context an additional opportunity to favor not only the integration of ICTs in the teaching of citizenship, but also to promote the teaching of digital citizenship. This is not only critical for learning about knowledge and critical use of online information, but also for the generation of content and awareness to confront and prevent all forms of violence in this medium.

At the same time, this working group - the “Regional Initiative or Alliance for Teacher Training in Citizenship” - could continue to monitor and update the recommendations for strengthening teacher preparation in this field, as well as exchange experiences, challenges and lessons learned from the initiatives implemented.

The implementation of this recommendation could be part of and contribute to the work that the Executive Secretariat of CECC-SICA has already been doing to comply with the mandates of the Ministers of Education adopted in the Contingency Plan, es- pecially recommendations 2 and 3 made by the Ministers of Education on “new compe- tencies/skills required of teachers”, which involves the following actions:

“-(2) That the Executive Secretariat of the CECC organize an Interministerial Te- chnical Team for In-Service Teacher Training, with specialists appointed by each Ministry of Education and other stakeholders. The function is to agree on a set of common competencies required by the hybrid teaching strategy and the com- mon regional elements of the “curriculum in emergency”.

(3) To the Executive Secretariat of the CECC, to coordinate actions with institu- tions and accredited

in-service training centers for teachers in the countries of the SICA region, to design a “Teacher Training Program for the Development of a “curriculum in emergency””

that complements the training actions carried out by the countries. The program will be based on the set of common competencies identified and expressed in the 46 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

Final Report of he Contingency Plan. Competences that will be validated by the Inter-ministerial Technical Team for In-Service Training of Teachers..

d. Schools: more participatory and democratic educational institutions There is evidence of a connection between civic and citizenship learning at school in ter- ms of classroom climate and participation within the school context, and indicators of knowledge and disposition to civic participation43. This data underscores the importance of implementing - not only as a curriculum subject, but also transversally - and more im- portantly, incorporating the principles of democratic citizenship into the very structures and processes of school management and governance, which is a great challenge for a sector with high bureaucratic levels and complex hierarchies in most of the educational systems of the SICA countries. That is, to build democratic schools and classrooms.

One of the recommendations for action in this area, in addition to strengthening the training of teachers and school administrators, is the generation of initiatives that en- courage educational institutions to integrate the implementation of GCED into their institutional educational projects, explicit in the generation of spaces and content for teaching, learning and practicing citizenship. This could be done, for example, through the adoption of training or Citizenship Education plans at the local or national levels, and perhaps even at the regional level. The preparation of guides for policy makers, school administrators and teachers could be a support that not only provides recom- mendations for action, but also fosters the creation in educational communities of ins- titutional instances for debate and the design of participatory initiatives with a com- prehensive approach to the practice of citizenship in educational institutions.

It would be interesting if the educational institutions participating in this type of ini- tiative could connect and build networks that favor the exchange among members of the educational communities, especially school directors, teachers and students, of experiences on how to create and manage spaces for the exercise of citizenship in edu- cational institutions.

43 Schulz, W., Ainley, J., Cox, C. and Friedman, T. (2018). ICCS 2016 Latin American Report. Youth perceptions of governance, peace- ful coexistence, and diversity in five Latin American countries. Amsterdam: International Association for the Evaluation of Educa- tional Achievement. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 47 e. Community level: youth leadership in the implementation of Citizenship Education and GCED. In recent years, some changes have been observed with respect to the civic participa- tion of young people, which has been increasing and has been reflected in the nume- rous movements that have had an impact on political debates, the development and reform of public policies and government institutions. An example of such changes is reflected in the remarkable variations that characterize patterns of information access and use, especially at the digital level. The observed trend is that participation throu- gh social media will continue to increase in the future, which could result in changes in the way social relationships are built upon which collective initiatives for political and social advocacy are cemented.

In the process of the dialogues, which are the basis of this Report, SICA region youth have demonstrated their commitment and capacity to promote the theory and im- plementation of GCED beyond the school boundaries, influencing at the community level. This has been done both individually and setting up organizations, networks, groups and communities of practice, fostering participation based on dialogue, ex- change, cooperation and solidarity. These youth networks broaden their influence to national, sub-regional, regional and even global levels. In this sense, the pedagogical strategies to be used for the youth population should emphasize the competencies of associativity, collaboration, solidarity, volunteering, and transformative, responsible and committed citizen activism.

In this regard, it is worth noting that during the COVID-19 pandemic, surveys of young people have shown that nearly 50% of them have increased their participation in vo- lunteer activities and social entrepreneurship. 44

It is highly recommended to create a permanent space for meeting, debate and activism for Citizenship Education and youth leadership in SICA region, to be led by the youth of the region (leadership is the topic of interest most mentioned by young people in the dialogues, along with the topic of citizen participation). This space, which can be set up and operated collaboratively online by groups of young people from all SICA countries, would seek to promote, in an extracurricular manner, the essential themes of youth lea- dership and citizenship to energize communities and families, using innovative methods with a priority focus on the participatory use of digital media. To be consistent with the above agreed principles of citizen participation, this space should offer to the young people themselves to determine freely the degree of scope and ambition to which as- pire with this initiative. This space can be initiated by the same young people who have already participated in the dialogues mentioned above, considering that a large part of them belong to regional and international networks on issues related to GCED.

44 Youth Task Force of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNSDG LAC) (2020) 48 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region

f. Policy area, strategies and regional monitoring Recommendation 44 of the Contingency Plan on Education for the SICA Region re- quests the CECC Executive Secretariat to prepare a specialized policy and strategy document on Citizenship Education. In addition to guiding the strengthening of this approach, it should be aimed to provide elements for the analysis of curriculum fra- meworks and teaching practices in schools, and to promote the identification of quali- tative indicators for monitoring the common goals and indicators agreed upon accor- ding to the Central American Education Policy PEC 2013-2030 and the achievement of SDG4- target 4.7.

In view of the above, it is proposed to generate a working mechanism among specia- lists designated by the Ministries of Education of the SICA countries in order to pre- pare the aforementioned document and organize periodic meetings to follow up on its implementation at the national level, identifying challenges, lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.

Such a document could be organized taking into account indicator 4.7.1 of target 4.7, namely: “Extent to which (i) global Citizenship Education and (ii) education for sus- tainable development, including gender equality and human rights, are incorporated into (a) national education policies (b) curricula (c) teacher training and (d) student assessments”. 45

Based on these dimensions, the policy could also include guidelines for the identifica- tion of common qualitative indicators, whose monitoring could be promoted through a team of education statistics professionals from the Ministers of Education. It would also build capacities in the countries to monitor, produce, collect and analyze the ne- cessary information to inform the planning of education policies in this field with the support of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics,

In addition, and in relation to the above, it is proposed to consider the implementation of a regional strategy to promote national initiatives for the assessment of learning achievements of students at the primary and secondary levels.

It would be essential that policy, strategy, monitoring and evaluation instruments be elaborated with collaborative methodologies involving key stakeholders, especially educational communities. Such a participatory process at the methodological level could be considered as a reference and example on how to put into practice the prin- ciples of Citizenship Education.

45 UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2018) Abridged Guide to Education Indicators for the SDG. Available at: http://uis.unesco.org/ sites/default/files/documents/quick-guide-education-indicators-sdg4-2018-sp.pdf. Pages 38-40. GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION POLICY AND RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT 49

More nformation: Central America Coordination Bureau for Education and Culture. Phones: (506) 2248-0542 (506) 2248-0496 https://ceccsica.info/ 50 Reflections and proposals for the SICA region