| Secretariat of Public Education | |
|---|---|
| Secretary Deputy Secretary |
Alonso Lujambio |
| National education budget (2007) | |
| Budget | MXN$200,930,557,665 USD$20B[1] |
| General Details | |
| Primary Languages | Spanish as the standard. Other minority languages are available in their local communities. |
| System Type | Federal |
| Current system | September 25, 1921 |
| Literacy | |
| Total | 95.8 % |
| Male | 97.6 % |
| Female | 93.8 % |
| Enrollment | |
| Total | 26.6 million |
| Primary | 18.5 million |
| Secondary | 5.8 million |
| Post Secondary | 2.3 million |
| Attainment | |
| Secondary diploma | n/a |
| Post-secondary diploma | 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). Education 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 for free, but foreigners can attend public schools by paying a tuition.
In the same fashion to other education systems, education may be described in identifiable stages, such as Primary School, Junior High School, High School, Higher education, and Postgraduate education.
Contents |
In Mexico, basic education is normally divided in three steps: primary school (primaria), comprising grades 1-6; junior high school (secundaria), comprising grades 7-9; and high school (preparatoria), comprising grades 10-12.
Depending on definitions, Primary education comprises primaria and secundaria, which are compulsory by law, while Secondary education only includes preparatoria, which is not yet compulsory.
The terms "Primary School" or "Elementary School" usually corresponds to primaria, comprising grades 1-6, when the student's age is 6 to 12 years old. It starts the basic compulsory education system.
Depending on the school, a bilingual education may be offered from the beginning, where half the day instruction is in Spanish, and the rest is in a second language, for example, English or French.
In Spanish, the general term for "school" is escuela, but in Mexico, it is common to use escuela for state-owned schools, which are the majority, while the term colegio (cognate with "college") is reserved for private schools, usually charging higher tuition fees.
The terms "Junior High School" or "Middle School" usually correspond to secundaria, comprising grades 7-9, when the student's age is 12 to 15 years old. It is part of the basic compulsory education system, it follows primary school, and comes before proper "high school" (preparatoria).
At this level, more specialized subjects may be taught such as Physics and Chemistry, and World History.
Despite the similarities of the words "Secondary school" and secundaria, in Mexico the former is usually translated to preparatoria, while in other countries, such as Puerto Rico, or within the Spanish-speaking populations of the United States, the term secundaria refers to High School.
The term "High School" (United States) or gymnasium (German, Dutch systems) usually corresponds to preparatoria or bachillerato, comprising grades 10-12, when the student's age is 15 to 18 years old. Students may choose between 2 main kinds of high school programmes: The SEP incorporated programme and a University Incorporated one, depending on the state. Other minority of programmes are available only for private schools, such as the International Baccalaureate Which carries a completely different system. Nevertheless, in order to be taught, it must include a national subject at least.
Preparatoria traditionally consists of three years of education, divided into six semesters, with the first semesters having a common curriculum, and the latter ones allowing some degree of specialization, either in physical sciences (electricity, chemistry, biology, etc.) or social sciences (commerce, philosophy, law, etc.).
The term preparatoria is most commonly used for institutions that offer a three-year education program that "prepares" the student with general knowledge to continue studying at a university. In contrast, the term bachillerato is most often used for institutions that provide vocational training, in two or three years, so the graduate can get a job as a skilled worker, for example, an assistant accountant, a bilingual secretary or an electronics technician.
Higher education usually follows the US education model with an at least 4-year Bachelor's degreeundergraduate level (Licenciatura), and two degrees at the postgraduate level, a 2-year Master's degree (Maestría), and a 3-year Doctoral degree (Doctorado). This structure of education very closely conforms to the Bologna Process started in Europe in 1999, allowing Mexican students to study abroad and pursue a Master's degree after Licenciatura, or a Doctoral degree after Maestría.
Undergraduate studies normally last at least 4 years, divided into semesters or quarters, depending on the college or university, and lead to a Bachelor's degree (Licenciatura).
Although in theory every graduate of a Licenciatura is a Licenciate (Licenciado, abbreviated Lic.) of his or her profession, it is common to use different titles for common professions such as Engineering and Architecture.
New regulations since 2005 divide postgraduate studies at Mexican universities and research centers in two main categories:[2]
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 preescolar | N/A | Pre-School | Kinder / Jardin de Niños / Educación preescolarsdfadf | |
| 4 | 2° de preescolar | N/A | |||
| 5 | 3° de preescolar | 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 / Junior High School | Secundaria / Educación básica | |
| 13 | 2° de secundaria | N/A | |||
| 14 | 3° de secundaria | N/A | |||
| 15 | 4°/1° de preparatoria | 1st and 2nd semesters | High school | Preparatoria / Bachillerato / Educación media superior | |
| 16 | 5°/2° de preparatoria | 3rd and 4th semesters | |||
| 17 | 6°/3° de preparatoria | 5th and 6th semesters | |||
| 18 | N/A | 1st and 2nd semesters / 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters | Bachelor's degree / Licentiate | 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 | |||
| N/A | N/A | ... | Master's degree | Maestría | |
| N/A | N/A | ... | Doctorate | Doctorado | |
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