Education in Mexico

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Education in Mexico

Educational oversight

Minister of Public Education

Secretariat of Public Education
Alonso Lujambio

National education budget (2007)

MXN$1,309,691,048,383
USD$96,342,469,250

Primary language(s) of education

Spanish as the standard. Other minority languages are also available in their local communities.

Nationalized system
Establishment

September 25, 1921

Literacy (2000)
• Men
• Women

95.8 %
97.6 %
93.8 %

Enrollment
• Primary
• Secondary
• Post-secondary

26.6 million
18.5 million
5.8 million
2.3 million

Attainment
• Secondary diploma
• Post-secondary diploma

N/A
N/A

Sources: Sistema Educativo de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Principales cifras, ciclo escolar 2003-2004 pdf and the 2000 Census (INEGI)

Education in Mexico is regulated by the Secretariat of Public Education (Spanish: Secretaría de Educación Pública, SEP. In English: Secretariat of Public Education). Educational standards are set by this Ministry at all levels except in autonomous universities chartered by the government (e.g. UNAM). Accreditation of private schools is accomplished by a mandatory approval and registration with this institution.

The 1917 Constitution provides that education should avoid privileges of religion, and that one religion or its members may not be given preference in education over another. Religious instruction is prohibited in public schools; however, religious associations are free to maintain private schools, which receive no public funds. Proof of Mexican citizenship is required to attend public schools.

[edit] Education stages

The Mexican school system is organized into Basic Education, Secondary Education and Higher Education components as follows:

Basic Education comprises preschool, primary school, and lower secondary school. Preschool covers children aged three through five and is generally provided in three grades. Preschool is free.

Primary education provides at least six years of schooling and is compulsory upon the states to provide free education from age six. There are several educational pathways, for specific population groups, including general education, bilingual-bicultural education, community education for children in the isolated regions of the country, and (4) adult education.

Higher-secondary education (3 years) is considered part of basic education and is compulsory upon the states. For entry, students are required to have successfully completed six years of primary education.

Secondary Education: Upper-Secondary Education is separate from Basic Education. This stage is non-compulsory upon the states and has three pathways: General upper-secondary, Technical professional education, and Technological upper-secondary.

Not all Mexican states have compulsory school attendance laws, and "compulsory education" generally means simply that it is compulsory upon the states to provide for it. It is important to understand that Mexico comprises 31 states and a federal district, and these jurisdictions pass their own laws so long as they do not conflict with federal laws. Compulsory school attendance in the state of Sonora went into effect in the beginning of the 2008 school year. The state of Sonora provides 12 years of free public education for its young people.

Higher education: There are four pathways of higher Education in Mexico: (1) Universities (4-5 year colleges and universities, called the licenciatura), (2) Technical institutes (3-year programs in engineering and management), (3) Teacher-training colleges, offering bachelor's degrees in the fields of education, and (4) Technological universities, offering two-year programs to prepare students as Higher University Technicians

[edit] School grades

UNAM The main campus at Mexico City.

[edit] School years

The table below describes the most common patterns for schooling in the state sector:

Minimum age (common)	Year	Months	Schools
2	N/A	N/A	Nursery	Maternal
3	1° de kinder	N/A	Pre-School	Preprimaria / Educación preescolar
4	2° de kinder	N/A
5	3° de prepri	N/A
6	1° de primaria	N/A	Primary school / Elementary school	Primaria / Educación básica
7	2° de primaria	N/A
8	3° de primaria	N/A
9	4° de primaria	N/A
10	5° de primaria	N/A
11	6° de primaria	N/A
12	1° de secundaria	N/A	Secondary school / Middle school	Secundaria / Educación media
13	2° de secundaria	N/A
14	3° de secundaria	N/A
15	4°/1° de prepa	1st and 2nd semesters	High school	Preparatoria / Bachillerato / Educación media superior
16	5°/2° de prepa	3rd and 4th semesters
17	6°/3° de prepa	5th and 6th semesters
18	N/A	1st and 2nd semesters / 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters	Bachelor's degree / Licenciate	Licenciatura / Educación superior
19	N/A	3rd and 4th semesters / 4th, 5th and 6th quarters
20	N/A	5th and 6th semesters / 7th, 8th and 9th quarters
21	N/A	7th and 8th semesters / 10th quarter
22	N/A	...	Master's degree	Maestría
N/A	N/A	...	Doctorate	Doctorado