Both financial and political factors impede the positive role of education in social and economic development in Latin America. This book argues that the inefficient operation of its education system constitutes one reason why Latin America is increasingly marginal on the world scene.

It was in a context of unprecedented economic growth that educational planning developed in the 1960s. At the time, educational planners were entrusted with orchestrating the tremendous expansion of schooling, with the aim of both universalizing education and providing national economies with the qualified manpower needed. Such rigid mandatory planning is not suited to today's world, but other forms of planning such as policy analysis, policy dialog, labor market analysis, and strategic management are still valid. The following is a complete list of reprinted essays collected for this book.