INEEd study evaluates Uruguay's María Espínola Centers

The National Institute for Educational Evaluation (INEEd) has released a study covering the implementation of the María Espínola Centers between 2022 and 2025. The report evaluates how the program aims to improve learning, student trajectories, and graduation rates for middle school students in high-vulnerability socioeconomic areas.

The findings indicate that the implementation of these centers has been heterogeneous, meaning they do not function as a uniform group. Data shows that student promotion rates in the María Espínola Centers were similar to those in a control group, with the control group actually showing more favorable promotion trends across various types of institutions, including high schools and technical schools.

Pablo Caggiani, president of the National Administration of Public Education (ANEP), noted that current policies to extend educational time are consistent with the report's findings. He highlighted the installation of 61 dining rooms as a key step to support the right to nutrition for adolescents. Antonio Romano, executive director of Educational Policies, emphasized the importance of using such reports to refine educational proposals in vulnerable neighborhoods.