The curriculum, launched on February 21, is aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), building the capacity for teachers to promote economic development and social mobility for Panamanian students.
“The local level of English language ability in Panama is very low, and with the unemployment rate where it is currently, there are not a lot of opportunities for Panamanians to evolve into that middle class state,” said Sara Davila, English language specialist consultant for the US State Department.
“Even with the Panama Canal and Panama being central to the global economy, international companies are not establishing themselves in Panama because of the lack of local language ability,” she added.
Currently, Panama ranks 16th out of 21 Latin American countries for English language proficiency, with access to education particularly challenging in remote areas including the Darién Gap jungle, a dangerous migrant crossing route between the Americas.
According to Davila, global companies are frequently established in nearby countries like Mexico and Costa Rica where English proficiency is higher, and send individuals into Panama, meaning the country loses out on international trade benefits.
“If you have a more hireable local market, businesses are more likely to settle there, so this is very much a long-term project to develop those language skills and encourage investment in a country that is really quite pivotal to the global economy,” said Davilla.
For local students, leaving school with a high school degree and a B1 level of English language ability amounts to the difference of $25,000 of income a year in future employment, according to Davilla.
“Having that immediately creates economic opportunities that did not exist before, so the Panama government has been really invested in supporting this project,” she added.
International companies are not establishing themselves in Panama because of the lack of local language ability
Sara Davila, English language consultant
The launch event brought together over 200 trainers from across Panama to support its rollout to 2,000-3,000 teachers nationwide.
When designing the framework, Davila and the other specialists ran a research project incorporating input from 20% of the country’s teachers across all 14 states, aligning the curriculum with specific local needs as well as UNESCO’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Panama’s indigenous community were also central to the design of the curriculum, allowing it to be integrated into all localities, including those where the mother tongue is the tribal language of the comarca, so students are learning both English and Spanish as second and third languages.
Though the work of the language specialists was initially supported by the US embassy, the curriculum itself is funded by the Panamanian government and therefore won’t be adversely impacted by the current US funding freeze on study abroad grants.
