[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 42 (Monday, October 20, 1997)]
[Pages 1580-1582]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Declaration of the United States-Brazil Partnership for Education

October 14, 1997

    We the Presidents of the United States and Brazil recognize that a 
new reality is reshaping the world and that our citizens must be 
prepared to meet the challenges of a globalized world in the 21st 
century. Education is the key to the future. We recognize that working 
together we will harness inevitable change to the benefit of families in 
our countries.
    Literacy and a first-class educational foundation are critical 
determinants to the well-being of our citizens, the strength of our 
economies, and preserving the values we as democratically-elected 
leaders hold dear.
    Skilled and educated people are the foundations of strong 
democracies and market economies. We must, therefore, ask more of our 
educational systems than ever before. Our governments have similar 
initiatives promoting the development of modern information 
infrastructures that will facilitate economic growth and will be the 
foundation of new ways to teach and learn. Our students must be able to 
compete in a new and constantly-changing job market. This requires 
access to life-long learning programs and the ability to participate in 
and benefit from varied cultures outside our borders as well as to 
process and organize more disparate information than ever before. 
Education is needed to participate actively and knowledgeably in 
democratic, plural and diverse societies.
    The democracies of our hemisphere, which will take part in the next 
Summit of the Americas to be held next April in Santiago, agree that 
education must be a central element in our shared agenda. Bearing in 
mind the urgency of prompt, effective action, as a top priority we have 
separately launched, within our respective countries, new initiatives to 
raise the quality of education, particularly in the primary and 
secondary levels.
    And together, today, we hereby establish the United States-Brazil 
Partnership for Education. Expanding exchanges, upgrading

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standards, enhancing teacher training, increasing participation by the 
family, community and business as well as incorporating new technology 
underpin our partnership.

Cooperation in the Development and Use of Technologies in Education

    New technologies make possible the broad dissemination of 
information and permit new teaching methods and practices such as 
distance learning and the use of computers. In addition, students must 
also master new technologies in preparation for a changing workplace and 
take part in economic development. We will take advantage of 
technologies such as the Internet to broaden cultural and language 
contacts for our students and teachers. We will jointly test and 
evaluate existing technologies, and facilitate development of 
appropriate new technologies, while engaging the private sector to 
assist with their introduction into the classroom.

Ensuring that Every Child Learns Through Educational Standards, 
Assessments, and Indicators

    Evaluating the performance of educational systems requires a clear 
definition of what schools should teach and what students are expected 
to know, as well as effective tools for measuring progress. Our 
governments will each establish standards for student performance in key 
subjects at appropriate levels, as well as the means to measure them. We 
will share experiences and information regarding progress on a 
continuous basis.

Strengthening Preparation and Professional Development of Teachers and 
School Managers

    Excellent schools require excellent teachers and managers. We will 
seek to have qualified, dedicated teachers in all classrooms, at all 
grades. To support this goal, we will exchange experiences and evaluate 
alternative models for teacher preparation and training for school 
management officials. We will especially consider ways to improve 
training for science teachers of scientific disciplines at the primary 
and secondary levels.

Increasing Educational Exchanges Between the United States and Brazil

    Already sharing a wide array of public and private educational 
exchange programs, the United States and Brazil will seek to expand 
exchanges at all levels, focusing on the priorities in this declaration. 
We will utilize existing and new mechanisms to establish a student 
exchange program for university students in mutually agreed areas such 
as engineering and technology. We will also consider a program of 
exchanges for language teachers to strengthen language skills and 
cultural ties between our countries. To assist private programs, we will 
explore methods for linking institutions to promote mutual recognition 
of educational credits.

Enhancing Family, Community, and Business Involvement in Education

    Opportunities for learning extend beyond the formal classroom. 
Parents, family members, employers, employees, older students, and 
volunteers can effectively participate in the education of children, 
especially in literacy enhancement. We re-affirm that the private sector 
is partner in education and will promote its involvement in such areas 
as combatting illiteracy and student dropout rates and enhancing school 
administration and overall school development.

Implementing the Partnership

    Finally, to ensure our partnership is vigorously implemented, we 
hereby establish the Education Partnership Implementation Commission 
(EPIC). Through regular meetings, EPIC will monitor implementation of 
actions outlined in the annex to the Memorandum of Understanding to 
which our governments subscribe today, as well as periodically formulate 
new actions. In furtherance of the precepts set forth in this 
Declaration, EPIC will also seek participation of the private sector and 
members of the public in implementation of this agreement. Working 
together, we will reinforce our common resolve, deepen our bonds of 
friendships, and prepare our children for the coming century.
                                     William Jefferson Clinton
                                     Fernando Henrique Cardoso

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Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this declaration.