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ERIC Number: EJ1253925
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 12
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2151-0393
EISSN: N/A
No Fees to Enroll Them All? The State of College Access in Mexico
Castiello-GutiƩrrez, Santiago
Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education, v12 n1 p27-38 Spr 2020
Mexico is often portrayed as a colorful country through its art, clothing, architecture and landscapes; but all that color carries in itself contrast. Education, as well as other aspects of public life in Mexico, has been a matter of contrasts since the settlement of the first civilizations. At the beginning of the modern era, as a result of the reform laws and with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution, education began to grow exponentially as a public good that has remained compulsory (only from K-12), secular, and free for all (MX. Const. 2019). But this exponential growth, 1) has not been enough to guarantee high levels of education for most of the population, 2) has resulted in a highly stratified system, and 3) has brought along some serious issues regarding the quality of education. Specifically in the tertiary level, and to address the issue of access, the federal government proposed and, their majority in Congress recently passed, a new constitutional reform to also include higher education among the compulsory levels of education (MX. Const. 2019). By making higher education a right for every Mexican citizen, the government will be forced to guarantee access regardless of a student's financial means or academic standing. This article represents a policy analysis of this new legislation and a reflection on whether or not making higher education compulsory is the best route to increase enrollment and coverage. The article is organized as a holistic analysis of higher education in Mexico and it challenges with a focus on access and coverage. The manifold issues of the current status and policies are described first. The article then moves to a discussion about how, by merely changing the legislation, the country might not see the expected outcomes. It also discusses how, considering the high cost associated with implementing such policy, there might be other priorities to attend to. It ends with research and policy recommendations focused on increasing access and coverage without neglecting issues of equity and quality.
Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. 3107 B Hampton Highway, Yorktown, VA 23693. e-mail: oic213@lehigh.edu; Web site: https://www.ojed.org/index.php/jcihe/index
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Mexico
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A