HAND GUIDE

THE EDUCATIVE SYSTEM IN MEXICO

US EMBASSY MEXICO CITY FRAUD PREVENTION UNIT

SEMINARS

2

EDUCATIVE SYSTEM IN MEXICO 1.- Legal Basis …………………………………………………... 3 2.- Structure……..………………………………………………. 3

o Parts of the system

o Modalities

o Levels

Initial and Kinder garden education Primary education Secondary education Medium education Superior or professional education

3.- Administration ……………………………………………… 8 o SEP

o 26 states with Organisms “descentralizados”

o 5 states with its own Secretariats of education

o Subsecretarias de Educación Superior

o The schools

o Educational authorities

4.- Private education………………………………………….. 10 5.- Academic Calendar………………………………………… 11 6.- To obtain the professional degree…………………….. 11

o Requirements for: “Pasante” “Titulado”

“Cedula” 7.- Professors……………………………………………………. 14

o Training and evaluation. o Labor union and “plazas” o Retirement, licenses of absence and pension

3

1.- LEGAL BASIS

The third article of the Political Constitution of the Mexican United Status and the General Education Law (1993) are the main legal body in charge to regulate the whole educative system and established the

sources of the national education.

The primary and secondary school are mandatory and the State has to provide them. All education provided by the State must to be free, and will promote and will arrange every type and modalities about education,

including the superior. Every education provided by State must be laicism.

The principal legal and valid documents and regulations in educative stuff are: The Political Constitution of the Mexican United states, mainly

articles 3 and 31; General education Law, Administrative Law of the Public Federation, focusing in its article 38, as the interior regulation of the Public Education Office.

2.- STRUCTURE

2.1. Parts of the system There is another authority who is called the supervisor or general

inspector who is in charge of monitoring pedagogically and administratively the different scholar zones where each of these are

assigned to. Article no. 10 of the Law General of Education indicates that the national

educative system is composed by: 1.- The alumni and teachers.

2.- The educative authorities. 3.- The plans, programs, methods and educative material.

4.- The educative institutions of State and its organisms. 5.- The private institutions with authorization or SEP certification. 6.- The superior level schools that are given autonomy by Law.

2.2 Modalities: enrolled and open. The system offers the educative service in two wide modalities:

4

enrolled in school and open. The enrolled in school modality means that the alumni is taught by his/her daily presence at school in accordance

with the correspondent scholar calendar.

The open modality is designed to provide the opportunity to continue or conclude the studies for those alumni that are not able to get into the enrolled system. This education is taught through pedagogical advising

without their daily presence at school. 2.3 The educative levels in the system.

The system is composed by six educative levels: initial, kinder garden,

primary, secondary, medium or high school, and superior (graduated and postgraduate). Also there is the special education in training for work, education for adults and indigenous or bilingual education.

NIVEL INICIAL

PREESCOLAR

PRIMARIA

SECUNDARIA

BACHILLERATO

SUPERIOR

EDAD 45 días- 5

años y 11

meses

4-5 años 6-14 años

12-16 años

16 – 19 años

20-24 años

DURACI

ON Y GRADOS

1 a 3

años

6

grados 6 años

3 grados

3 años

2 a 3

grados 1 a 3 años

4 a 5

años

MODALIDAD

General

-General -

Indígena - Cursos comunita

rios - CENDI

- Genera

l - bilingü

e cultural

-Adulto

s

- General - Tele

secundaria - Técnica

- Trabajadores

- Adultos -

Capacitación para el trabajo

General - Técnico

- Normal -

Universitaria -

Tecnológica

5

a) Initial Education

The initial education provides education and assistance to the kids from 45 days to 5 years old, children of worker mothers. Is not mandatory.

b) Kinder garden education

This educative cycle is previous to primary school and children from 3 to 5 years old. The first and second years are attended by children for 3 and 4 years old, the third is for five years old kids. The kinder garden

education is not mandatory by law, even is in process to be, for custom is requested as requirement for getting enrolled to the primary school.

There are three modalities on this; they are general, indigenous and communitarian courses.

c) Primary education

The primary education is mandatory by law and is for children from 6 to 14 years old; the last of studies is 6 years. The primary is offered in different modalities which are: general, intercultural or bilingual,

communitarian courses and education for adults. In any modality the primary education is previous and mandatory in order to enroll for the secondary school.

d) Secondary school

General Telesecundaria Technical Training for work Adults

The secondary school is mandatory and is offered in the following modalities: general, for workers, what is called “telesecundaria”,

technical and open, all of these modalities are enrolled with exception of open modality. The secondary education is provided in 3 years to the population from 12 to 16 years old that have concluded the primary

school. The persons who are over 16 years old may study in secondary for workers or in the open modality. This level is previous and mandatory in order to initiate the medium or professional studies.

e) medium level

General High school Technological high school

6

Professional téchnical education(CONALEP)

The medium superior level comprises three types of education: previous,

previous final, and final. The two first are offered in the modalities enrolled and open. The modality enrolled is attended generally by population from 16 to 19 years old that have obtained the secondary

certificate. The propaedeutic one is known as well as general high school. Most of

the schools have studies programs of three years, but others have programs of two years. Concluding these studies, the alumni may have

access to the superior level. The final propaedeutic is the specialized high school or technological. The

students are prepared besides the general high school education; they are formed as qualified technicians of medium professionals with the

correspondent degree. CONALEP

El Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional Técnica (CONALEP) es una institución educativa del nivel Medio Superior que forma parte del Sistema Nacional de Educación Tecnológica. Fue creado por decreto

presidencial en 1978 como un Organismo Público Descentralizado del Gobierno Federal, con personalidad jurídica y patrimonio propios. Su

objetivo principal se orientó a la formación de profesionales técnicos de nivel postsecundaria. En 1993 el decreto se reforma para abrir las expectativas en materia de capacitación laboral, vinculación

intersectorial, apoyo comunitario y asesoría y asistencia tecnológicas a las empresas

f) superior level

Bachelor degree = Licenciatura

“Normal”

University

Technological Postgraduate

Master

P.HD It is defined as the one coming after the high school. It comprises the

graduate and postgraduate in education, known as “normal” (the one forming teachers), university and technological. In order to enroll to the

graduate and “normal” must be concluded the high school or equivalent,

7

to enroll for master studies is mandatory to have the graduate degree; to enroll for doctoral studies, is mandatory to have the master degree or

equivalent academic merits.

In this level there is a Wide range in choices for students. For its legal system, the institutions of superior level may constitute in universities:

public with autonomy, public state, institutions depending of state government, private institutions and private institutions with official

recognition by the SEP, the states government and the organisms dependents of State. The universities that the Federal Congress or the states Congresses are granted by autonomy are organisms called

“descentralizados” which means dependents of the State.

The institutions dependents from the State are centralized or “desconcentradas”. Their authorities are designated by the Federal

Executive Power or the correspondent of each state. In general, the federal government executes as well, control over the forms of

administrating and the plans and programs of studies. All of these institutions coming from the Federal government depend of the SEP.

The autonomy implicates that the University has the faculty on

designating their own authorities and to get organized as better consider issuing their regulations and rules within of what organic law establishes respectively. The university with autonomy has the total liberty on

cathedra and designates their academic staff, issue certificates, grades and degrees; issue validness to the studies realized in different national

institutions and foreigners; in accordance with their rules, recognizes or incorporate high school studies or graduate degrees taught in private institutions, administrates by itself its goods and determines its budget.

The income of public universities with autonomy comes principally from the Federal Government and the state governments.

The public university education is comprised by 45 institutions, considering only the central units, which realize functions specifics on teaching, researching and extension of culture and services. Most of the

public universities have autonomy.

The different professional choices on graduate or superior level are grouped conventionally in six areas, according to established approaches

by the “Asociacion Nacional de Universidades e Instituciones de Enseñanza Superior” (ANUIES). This division on careers it’s obeying to

classifying needs and analysis, its not legally mandatory. Each area is sectioned in sub areas, which are conjunct by specifics

careers. The areas are a) natural and exact sciences; b) education and

8

humanities; c) agricultural sciences, d) health sciences, e) engineering and technology; and f) social and administrative sciences.

The technological education institutions were established in order to offer to the youth an alternative to have access to the superior education more directly bound the job market and regional development. The

technological universities are public organisms “descentralizados” of the state governments which offer careers with two years programs to obtain

the grade as university superior technical.

3.- ADMINISTRATION

The Secretariat of the Federal Government in charge of the education is the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP), which address is:

Argentina no. 28, col. Centro México, DF CP 06029

The federal government trough and by the Minister of Public education is

the maxim authority normatively, technically and pedagogically, in order to do the basic education system function fine.

The SEP (Secretaria de Educacion Publica) is the Executive Federal

agency in charge on every educative issue.

Due to the new governmental new administration called “federalizacion” in education, in 26 states of the Mexican Republic were created decentralized specific organisms with the purpose on taking the

responsibility in offering and providing the educative services transferred by the federal government. Other five entities assume directly the operation and 23 of the 31 states have created their own educative

legislation.

In the public sector, the universities affairs are coordinated by the

“Subsecretaria de Educación Superior e Investigación cientifica”. The technological and public institutions are coordinated by the “Subsecretaria de Eduacion de Investigacion Tecnologica”.

The difference consists in, that most of the public universities have autonomy, the subsecretaria is only doing coordination duties, not administrating them, it doesn’t intervene in its government and it doesn’t

have any interference in its academic life.

The Minister of the Secretariat is the Secretary of the Public Education.

His or hers attributions are to take responsibility of the educative affairs of the Executive Power. Currently, the SEP basically executes functions

9

of character technical-normative and established directions of general educative policy.

The secretariat of Public Education is composed hierarchically by the Minister, the sub- secretaries, the Major, General Directors, Directors and sub-directors of area, and the chief of department.

3.1 AUTHORITIES IN SCHOOL.

The first authority in schools is the Dean of school, responsible for the right functioning, organization, operation, and administration of school

and others.

In primary schools, that have a minimum of five teachers, there is this “Consejo tecnico” which is an organism kind of parliamentary speech. The president of this one is ruled by the Director or Dean.

This organism does exist as well in secondary school as organism of collaboration, its function is to help the Director in planning , development and evaluation of educative activities and solving problems

of school. It is composed by the Dean who presides it, a secretary and a variable number of vocals, (sub-directors, chiefs of items, an scholar

advisor, the representative of alumni, and others existing in that case). Besides, there are more people involve in secondary school, depending of the specialties or areas of work.

3.2 THE SCHOOLS

Classification:

By turn:

Morning: They work from 8:00 to 12:30

Afternoon: from 14:00 to 18:30

Night: from 19:00 to 21:00

By location:

Urban: those located in towns with more than 2,500 of population.

Rural: located in towns with less than 2,500 of population.

By gender:

Just one gender (female or male) or both of them.

10

By its economic dependency:

Federal or public: income, expenses, control, coordination, administration is depending of SEP.

Private: income and expenses are supported by persons, or private companies.

4.- PRIVATE EDUCATION

The educative system in Mexico is predominantly public. The 90% of the enrolled population do their studies in Institutions depending from both federal and state governments.

The Law General of Education indicates that the scholar private centers may give education in all types and modalities. In order to do this they

will have to get, previously, the expressed authorization by the State (in basic education: primary and secondary), or the recognition of official validation of studies (in the other levels of education).

This authorizations and recognitions are grant when the requesters have met the following requirements:

To have staff or employees able to prove that they have the adequate preparation to give the correspondent type or modality

To count with establishments that satisfy the hygienic conditions, of safety and pedagogical that the authority granting determined. For the process of a new establishment, is needed to deal a new

authorization or recognition. In the case of primary, secondary, former teachers school, and

others institutions forming teachers of basic education, shall follow up with the plans and programs of studies that SEP determine for this education type (which are applied as well in public schools of

federal and state control). In the case of different education than the Basic of forming

teachers, they shall apply the plans and programs of studies

previously approved by the licensing authority.

The public sector meets the 84% of the total of educative establishments. In primary education this percentage increases to 94.5%. The private schools of medium professional studies outweigh the public sector,

which holds the 42% of the establishments, even though in less proportion reflected in the training for workers. In high school and the

superior education the private schools represents a high proportion in numbers (40% and 51 respectively). The public sector concentrates the 84% of the total of professors. In

primary they met the 93% and secondary the 87%. The private sector in

11

its side contracts the 74% of professors of training for workers and the 30% of the teachers in high school.

Finally, in the last five years on 90’s, the Mexican families quadrupled

their expenses in private education. While in 1995 5 of 100 pesos of the expenditure of nationals in the whole country was intended to the private education, in 2000 this relation was of 20 pesos for each 100 pesos.

5.- ACADEMIC CALENDAR

The calendar for primary secondary and “normal” schools, publics and privates incorporated, is formed by 200 working days of classes. The activities initiate generally in August and conclude in July of next year.

In other educative levels the calendars are really variable. Many schools of medium education and superior have calendars similar to the official

calendar from SEP, others have different periods of vacations and holidays, and some others work by semesters and not by annual cycles.

The schedules of assistance to classes are different as well, generally exist in morning, afternoon, evening and mixed.

6.- TO OBTAIN THE PROFESSIONAL DEGREE AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN: “PASANTE”, “TITULADO” AND

HAVING A “CEDULA PROFESIONAL”

There are many different modalities to elect how to do the final exam in order to get the professional degree. In general, is asked to

the student to do a draft or essay, or written work that must be evaluated by a jury specifically assigned for it. In many universities, the schools or faculties, demand the creation of a

thesis, others the minor thesis or “tesina”, in size and depth lighter than the thesis, others the report or recompilations of professional

experience. Other institutions have a different process such just presenting a special written report or present a global exam about the professional knowledge acquired. Some others ask as

mandatory in order to do their final exam the knowledge and comprehension of another foreign language, most of the cases

English or French. Even though, there are some requirements that must be met for

any school, institution or university (the only exception is known so far, is for students from TEC de Monterrey). It does not matter if is public, private, these are the status of the students when they

have the requirements mentioned below:

12

Titulo:

- Carta de pasante - Acta de titulacion o examen final - Acta o carta de servicio social

Cedula profesional:

- Certificado de secundaria

- Certificado de bachillerato

- Certificado de estudios profesionales.

- Carta de liberación de servicio social.

- Acta de examen profesional.

- Titulo profesional

13

EXAMPLE

Law career: 5 years = 10 semesters Credits = 530 Subjects= 56

545 credits

57 subjects

“Carta de pasante”

500 credits 52 subjects “Carrera trunca”

In order to get the

degree or be “títulado”

-Carta de pasante

- Acta de titulación.

Examen final o haber

acreditado la modalidad

escogida para titularse. (Tesis,

tesina, prácticas profesionales,

replica, examen global teórico,

maestría, etc).

- Acta o carta de servicio

social.

Cédula profesional

- Certificado de secundaria - Certificado de bachillerato - Certificado de estudios

profesionales. - Carta de liberación de servicio

social. - Acta de examen profesional. - Titulo profesional.

14

7. - THE PROFESSORS In general, it not exist a homogeny categorization of positions and levels

of the teachers. The policies on contracting are very variable and the institutions have their own steps in crease and tabulators where is

established the positions, the types of contract and the requirements to full fill to get in, to be permanent and to scale in the teaching career. In general there are three categories of teachers: titled, associate and

assistant, each of these with three or four levels. The contraction may be in full time, part time or per hours.

The teachers of levels kinder garden, primary, secondary and physical training and special education realized their studies in schools called

“Escuela Normal, public or private”. There is in Mexico 536 of these schools which 210 are private. The academic evaluation of teachers of superior level in Mexico has been

improved. Most of the teachers have a bachelor degree, and each year there is more with master and Doctoral degree.