This article discuss the educational problems of Latin American countries wich has experienced a high degree of elementary school attendance, without reaching good standards of quality. The authors point out that the educational system should change to meet the demands imposed on it by the technological modernization and greater social participation of the population. They emphasize the need to change the way the public school is managed today, toward a less centralized educational system and a greater degree of autonomy of the schools, in a such way that each one could develop its own pedagogical plan and be submitted to evaluation of performance.
