AI in Salvadoran Education
Between the Promise of Modernization and Strategic Silences
Keywords:
Artificial intelligence, Modernization, Government communication, Education policy, El SalvadorAbstract
This essay analyzes government communication surrounding the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) in El Salvador’s education system, presented as a milestone of modernization. Its objective is to assess whether this narrative reflects a well founded educational strategy or constitutes a discourse that overlooks risks, limitations, and relevant international lessons. From a strategic communication perspective, the essay examines how framing emphasizes benefits associated with innovation, efficiency, and global competitiveness, while downplaying structural factors such as educational inequality, digital divides, infrastructure limitations, and teacher training. It also contrasts this narrative with recent international experiences that question the effects of intensive digitalization on learning processes, particularly regarding basic competencies. The analysis reveals the presence of “strategic silences” in official communication, which shape public perception, raise expectations, and limit informed public debate about the real scope of these educational policies. It concludes that educational modernization depends not only on technological adoption, but also on contextual integration, continuous evaluation, institutional sustainability, and transparent communication grounded in evidence and inclusive policy design processes.
EMH ABIERTA_EN_N19-2025-88-97.
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Copyright (c) 2025 María Elena Enríquez
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