AQ and Efecto Naím Air Joint Report on Educational Subsidies in Latin America

Watch the fifth joint report by AQ and Efecto Naím, which examines educational spending in Latin America and its effects on social inequality.

Public schools are thought of as a great social equalizer, a way to make sure that students from all economic backgrounds have access to quality education. But in Latin America, public education funding, drawn from the taxes on all citizens, is disproportionately going to students from wealthier backgrounds.

In Chile, university students have repeatedly taken to the streets, demanding reforms to the educational system. But although many of them face steep debt and disappointing job prospects, younger students are in even more need. In almost every country in the region, primary school students receive less public funding than university students, even though university students come from overall wealthier backgrounds. The result is educational spending that fails to benefit those in most need. This report examines the benefits of quality early education, as well as the potential paths to more equitable educational systems in Latin America.