The VII Ministerial Meeting was held on March 1 and 2, 2012, in Paramaribo, Suriname. The main topic of discussion was Transforming the role of the teacher to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The debates focused on the teacher that today’s students need; schools as learning communities; and the role of governments in promoting teacher quality through public policy
The Ministers analyzed the main obstacles to effective teaching that may be addressed through public policy, and examined successful experiences through which educational systems have strengthened teaching practice, they also reviewed the work carried out by the Inter-American Committee on Education (CIE) since 2009, layed the foundations for the CIE Work Plan for the period 2012-2014, and elected new CIE authorities.