TRENDS IN EDUCATION
National education systems: the roles of the state, private providers and international organizations During the coronavirus pandemic, the governments of all countries in the region have developed different educational actions with various separate and combined devices, in order to support both teaching and learning processes and educational communication. None of the educational systems were prepared (nor had thought about) moving suddenly en masse from the "schooling" format to educational practice carried out in the homes of students and their respective families. The different alternatives and definitions of educational policy that were implemented “on the fly” in this context, were conditioned mainly by the status of the systems in respect to their background in the use of educational technologies, the availability of platforms and virtual environments on different scales, the possibilities of access and connectivity, and the availability of resources and digital media, among others. Most of the unions affiliated with Education International report that it was not possible to achieve educational continuity with all students in their countries, that digital solutions did not allow the maintenance of teaching-learning processes, and that, in many countries in the region, governments have not promoted programs to strengthen education budgets. Neither teaching staff nor families had access to connectivity and equipment (computers, telephones) and the ability of families to have the time and conditions to provide accompaniment to students was a limiting factor. In both private and public sectors, teachers incurred expenses to provide technological equipment and to pay for connectivity data or broadband internet in order to teach classes. That is, teaching staff supported their work with their own funds and "subsidized" solutions based on digital tools.
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