I have approached our national ministry of education with the idea, and the ministry has given its support in principle and has suggested that we commission a round table to discuss the project. In any discussion of changing standards in education, there are many political and economic obstacles to be overcome, and Paraguay is no exception. Many people feel threatened by change and are concerned about the costs. This new challenge will put our abilities to collaborate to the test, but I believe we will emerge much stronger at the end. Paraguay is a poor, third-world country.
Teaching is a poorly paid profession with a great deal of competition.
Although teaching English is an important and expanding market, the lack of standards for teachers provides little financial incentive for teachers to seek training. I can only imagine that other poor countries face similar dilemmas. One of the challenges of a standards project will therefore be to find ways to create incentives for teachers to pursue training and certification. English has become almost an essential skill in the global market and workplace. Paraguay's need for sustainable development and increased competitiveness in today's world requires improved education in general and in English language skills in particular.