Plan Ceibal 2020: Education innovation challenges in Uruguay

Abstract

The year 2020 was marked by disruptions to society and education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Uruguay implemented a national contingency plan to ensure education continued, earning it international recognition. In this context, and from different perspectives, the Fundación Ceibal presents in this publication an analysis of the challenges and the leading role that the Plan Ceibal played. The presentation analyzes the change of scene that Uruguay experienced and the main implications for education in the country, as well as the Ceibal en casa (Ceibal at home) proposal, implemented by the Plan Ceibal, in coordination with the National Public Education Administration (ANEP, Administración Nacional de Educación Pública) to make it easier for education to continue. We analyze their work to broaden the availability of resources and digital systems and their transmedia strategy—including television programmes—to provide equitable and inclusive access to educational content. The publication also emphasizes the impact achieved: Plan Ceibal educational resources were those most used by students and teachers in the public education system in Uruguay and its learning platform, CREA, was the fifth-most-visited website in the country. The exponential increase in the use of these resources made Plan Ceibal a leading space in the educational context of the country, constructed in collaboration with the whole educational community: teachers, students, and their families. The presentation also includes coverage of the plan in national and international media, and testimonies and opinions from authorities and Plan Ceibal team leaders, who talk about the main challenges they faced, including strengthening infrastructure and producing new formats of educational content. Lastly, there is a reflection on the projection of the Plan Ceibal and its future challenges as a fundamental part of the education system in Uruguay.