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In recent years, you¡¯ve worked with El Salvador to foster transformation in education. What are the three major achievements you would highlight?

I¡¯ve been fortunate to work with many people in El Salvador to improve education. If I had to name three important things we¡¯ve achieved together, they would be:

• Mobilizing funds to improve education. We helped bring more funding to the country to invest in education. It wasn¡¯t just WB funding, but also from other organizations that want to support El Salvador. What matters is that the money is being well invested in things the country truly needs, such as improving schools, training teachers, and purchasing materials. With a bit more effort, much more could be achieved.
• Promoting collaboration among key stakeholders. We managed to get different entities within the government, civil society, NGOs, and other cooperation partners to agree on working together for education. One important outcome was the consensus that teaching children to read and write well from an early age should be a national priority. Literacy is key to combating learning poverty.
• Bringing good ideas from other countries and adapting them to El Salvador. We¡¯ve shared ideas that have worked elsewhere in the world, always thinking about how to make them work locally to enhance existing efforts. For example, we helped create clear standards for what children should learn at each grade level, how to better prepare teachers, and how to assess whether students are learning what they need.

The ¡°¡± is the main instrument of collaboration between the World Bank and El Salvador in education. How is it helping advance this important agenda?

This project, which aims to ensure children learn better from the start of their educational journey, marks a turning point for education in the country. Basically, we¡¯re improving what is taught, how it¡¯s taught, where it¡¯s taught, and who supports the learning process, so that all children in El Salvador can grow and learn with the best opportunities.

For that, the WB team I led over the past four years helped the Government achieve five key outcomes:

1. Improving early childhood education through clear standards so that all centers serving young children meet certain quality levels. This ensures children receive good care and learning from the start across all areas of intervention.
2. Preparing teachers. Teachers are undoubtedly the main lever for change in the country¡¯s education system. The project trains them in new teaching methods that help children¡¯s brains develop to their fullest in the early years. We¡¯re also changing how future teachers are trained so they arrive better prepared and equipped with the best tools.
3. Evaluating the system, which is key to improvement. The project is redesigning how learning is measured from preschool to high school, using data to help schools understand what they¡¯re doing well and what can be improved.
4. Creating spaces that foster learning, such as renovated schools that are safe, clean, and equipped with basic services like water and bathrooms, as well as areas that motivate students to learn and interact, turning the environment into a pedagogical ally.
5. Strengthening the link between home, school, and family, including the distribution of books and materials to over 62,000 families, and training parents to support reading and emotional development at home. This is key to involving families in the development of young children, fostering learning opportunities outside the classroom, and changing cultural patterns that have historically limited girls.

As this phase concludes, in what ways can El Salvador serve as an example for other countries in education?

El Salvador¡¯s commitment to early childhood can inspire other countries around the world, recognizing that the early years are fundamental for learning and development.

The country has prioritized ensuring all children learn to read, write, and master basic math, thus establishing solid educational foundations that facilitate future progress in their academic journey. It has a model that enables informed decision-making to improve essential competencies.

Efforts have also been made to standardize educational quality rules, defining expected learning outcomes for young children and setting standards for teachers, programs, and schools. This has created a framework that guarantees minimum conditions and clear learning expectations nationwide.

And what challenges remain?

Much progress has been made in the right direction, but significant short and medium-term challenges persist. It¡¯s essential that the project reaches all Salvadoran children, including those in rural or hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, improvements made in early education need to be extended to primary and secondary levels, which requires good management and sufficient resources to fund these advances without compromising quality. With some creativity, cooperation schemes could be developed with international partners and the private sector.

Moreover, it¡¯s crucial to continue the cultural transformation in teaching and learning. Changing long-standing practices is not easy, but it¡¯s essential. Families and schools must work together to promote gender equality and prevent violence from early childhood, among other important aspects.

One of the biggest challenges is ensuring that the progress made is sustained over time, regardless of changes in administrations or budget constraints.

Could you share your next role at the World Bank and your expectations for this new phase?

Since August, I¡¯ve been part of the education team for Europe and Central Asia, where I¡¯ll lead the education portfolio and dialogue with the Government of Moldova. I¡¯ll also contribute to regional strategic analyses, bringing everything I¡¯ve learned from my experiences in Central America. I¡¯ll miss the land of pupusas dearly, but I start this new phase with gratitude and joy for the achievements of recent years.