Ministerial Meetings

Ministers of Education from the 34 member states of the OAS meet approximately every two years in order discuss current issues in education policy and practice, establish a regional agenda for educational cooperation, and review the progress made on mandates related to education that emanate from the Summit of the Americas and previous education ministerial meetings.

Each ministerial meeting represents the culmination of a process of policy dialogue aimed at strengthening national educational policies and programs through the exchange of lessons learned, innovations, and resources among member countries. Each ministerial process includes consultations with civil society and international organizations that are working to improve educational quality and equity in the hemisphere.

The IV Ministerial Meeting took place in Trinidad and Tobago in 2005 and focued on the theme “Providing Quality Education for a Democratic and Productive Citizenry”. Ministers deliberations were focused around the following key questions: How can we evaluate the success of our actions to provide quality education to all our citizens?: How can education fulfill the social agenda to build a more inclusive and democratic society? How can education contribute to the Summit priorities of job creation, decreased levels of poverty and strengthening democratic governance?

The VMinisterial Meeting takes place in Cartagena de las Indias , Colombia in November of 2007 and focuses on the theme “LESSONS LEARNED AND HEMISPHERIC COMMITMENTS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION”

In 2003, Ministers of Education established the Inter-American Committee on Education to follow up on the mandates and plans of action that emanate from ministerial process.