The goals set by the Summit of the Americas in the area of education speak to central concerns that are linked both with guaranteeing the fundamental human rights of all

people and with investing in the harmonious and equitable development of our countries.

The Regional Education Indicators Project, PRIE, is an initiative that came out of the Second Summit of the Americas, at which Heads of State identified education as the

first priority of the region. The work carried out by the project has aimed at constructing regional comparable indicators, with the objective of contributing to the definition of

more effective education policies.

In this sense, the publication Educational Panorama of the Americas (2002) was an effort to view the hemisphere from a comparative educational perspective. It shows

that the progress achieved in education has occurred in a very unequal manner, and that there are important gaps to be overcome, both within and among countries.

It is therefore extremely important to be aware of the progress of countries in regard to the goals, as well as to have insights into the impact of the development of education on people and on communities in order to understand the future challenges facing public education policies.

In this closing phase of the first three years of this project, we present a new publication that focuses on illustrating the progress in the hemisphere in achieving the education goals of the Summit of the Americas. It also considers the need for such progress in terms of the impacts that education has on the lives of people, families, and communities.

This publication coincides in time both with the conclusion of the Regional Education Indicators Project within the framework of which it has been developed, and with the

Third Meeting of Ministers of Education to be held in Mexico City from August 11-13 of this year. In this sense, we are confident that it will provide new elements for the

consideration of the ministers of the hemisphere at their meeting, as well as for all of those who are interested in the challenges of education, the development of our

countries, and in the region as a whole.