Forty percent of the families in Latin America have an income which does not provide essential necessities. Two-thirds of poor families live in the countryside, while the remainder reside in urban slums. The key variable in explaining poverty is education. Without education these families have irregular, unstable, and low paying employment opportunities. These are the conditions that provide the scenario for schools in this environment. Statistics show that 50 percent of the students drop out with fewer than three years of schooling and are only semiliterate. Those who leave with three years or less of schooling constitute 41 percent in El Salvador, 45 percent in Brazil, and 64 percent in Nicaragua. These children come from homes with serious deficits and enter schools that have few resources and poorly trained personnel. Students achieve at a higher level when expectations for them are increased. Teachers often have social and cultural prejudices towards these children combined with low expectations for them. Classrooms are overcrowded, resources are scarce, and there are many one-teacher schools in which an interpreter may be needed. These positions are often entry level where the teacher has had no previous teaching experience. Working with these marginal populations requires a level of specific preparation for the situations and problems the teacher will confront. Developing favorable attitudes on the part of professionals towards disadvantaged groups is essential. (NL)