04 Aug 2016
At the end of last year, we appointed our first ever Cambridge representative in Brazil. It’s a sign of the rising demand for Cambridge across Latin America. Here, our Regional Director Latin America, Richard Gilby, describes how we are working with new Cambridge Associates to increase access to Cambridge programmes in the region.
'From the stage at the annual Outstanding Cambridge-ESSARP Learner Awards ceremony in Argentina recently, I gazed out at a sea of over 800 happy faces. Amazingly proud parents, teachers, principals and students were celebrating the success of these young people in their Cambridge examinations.
'That awards ceremony was hosted by ESSARP (English Speaking Scholastic Association of the River Plate), a Cambridge Associate with whom we share a long history. The awards ceremony and the pride were later repeated in Uruguay with our Cambridge Associate there, Dickens Institute, continuing the tradition.
'Cambridge Associates are well-established and successful education organisations that work with us to deliver qualifications and programmes to individual schools, colleges or directly to learners. In Latin America they play a vital role in giving us extended personal contact with schools in this enormous region.
'The environment in Latin America is challenging, with several countries having more than 40 per cent falls in their currency against the dollar, double digit inflation and economies that are floundering. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, the faith in excellent education is stronger than ever.
'Our fastest growth in Latin America is with another of our associates – the British Council in Colombia. They work hard to develop schools wholly committed to the Cambridge approach from Cambridge Primary through to Cambridge International AS & A levels. The number one primary school in Colombia in the national system is a Cambridge Primary school – St George’s in Bogota.
'In the last year, we have welcomed three more Cambridge Associates in the region: The Anglo Mexican Foundation in Mexico, the British Council in Peru and the Universidad Chileno-Británica de Cultura in Chile. Already our new associates are generating interest from schools wishing to join the Cambridge family. We are now preparing to work with associates in Brazil as well.'
As the Cambridge community grows in Latin America, so too does our support for schools. Find out more about the Cambridge regional team.