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Abstract

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the OECD was created with the aim of assessing 15-year-old students, who are about to complete compulsory education. It measures the degree of knowledge and skills they have gained before inserting themselves into the community, to confront the challenges it poses. A matter of concern is the significant difference found in PISA 2012 between first world countries and the eight (8) participating Latin American countries. As years go by, the difference is greater and if this is not corrected immediately, it will cause greater social inequalities and that it is currently the case in several countries in Latin America. The book Gestión de Sistemas Educativos con Calidad” [Management of Quality Educational Systems], which shows the way forward to attain Educational Quality, gives us some guidance to face the next PISA 2015, 2018… assessments, as it suggests urgent and immediate measures that have to be adopted to improve educational levels. The sustained growth that many Latin American countries showed in the previous decade (2000-2010) through the export of raw materials and their price is coming to an end causing a slowdown and the  deterioration of the economy. Therefore, governments have stopped investing in quality education, in science and technology (quality, productivity, and innovation). A good education in math, science and technology would have contributed to diversify  
sources of income giving value added to raw materials and their manufacture, with more engineers,
scientists, and technologists, to develop innovations in areas with competitive advantage