Central America's single most important educational challenge is improving learning at all levels. Improved learning is vital for individual and national growth, competitiveness, and quality of life. Quality is key to completing primary education and the Education For All goals in Central America. Higher quality will make workers more productive, increase rates of return to education and provide incentives for further private investments in education. Factors inside and outside the educational system affect educational outcomes: the children, as influenced by their families and communities
teachers
pedagogy and curriculum
educational materials and infrastructure
and school management. Attending school does not automatically provide necessary skills and knowledge. This note, based on a new report by the World Bank, focuses on so-called supply-side constraints to learning (school characteristics) in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, but also mentions demand-side constraints. Policy options are suggested to address different types of constraints.