La estructura del sistema educativo mexican

ARRIAGA ALVAREZ, EMILIO GERARDO

Red Mexicana de Repositorios Institucionales

Reseña de "La estructura del sistema educativo mexicano" de Adolfo López, Ignacio Morales y Elvia Silva

Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México

   Convergencia. Revista de Ciencias SocialesISSN: 1405-1435revistaconvergencia@yahoo.com.mxUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoMéxicoArriaga Álvarez, Emilio GerardoReseña de "La estructura del sistema educativo mexicano" de Adolfo López, Ignacio Morales y ElviaSilvaConvergencia. Revista de Ciencias Sociales, vol. 13, núm. 41, mayo-agosto, 2006, pp. 223-228Universidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoToluca, MéxicoAvailable in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=10504109   How to cite   Complete issue   More information about this article   Journal's homepage in redalyc.orgScientific Information SystemNetwork of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and PortugalNon-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative201Emilio Gerardo Arriaga Álvarez, The main axis of a nation project: the Mexican education systemISSN 1405-1435, UAEM, México, num. 41, May- August 2006,  pp 201-207The main axis of a nation project: the Mexicaneducation systemEmilio Gerardo Arriaga ÁlvarezUniversidad Autónoma del Estado de MéxicoLópez, Adolfo, Morales, Ignacio and Silva, Elvia (2005),La estructura del sistema educativo mexicano,Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, México,Cuadernos de Investigación núm. 36, 126 pp.Convergencia, num. 41, May-August 2006, ISSN 1405-1435, UAEM, Mexico202Tabout, as ageneral context, the International Standard Classification ofEducation (ISCED) of the United Nations Educational Scientific andCultural Organization (UNESCO). The starting point is also referred to thelack of  an information system that supports those who lead the nationaleducation system, and that it is confirmed with the lack of  clarity, in boththe system structure as in the conceptual lagoons, from the juridicalframework that tries to be the system’s coverture. The sight is focused onthe international c context. Indeed, nowadays there is more mobility andinteraction in terms of  the educational processes and, in consequence, thedifferent institutional designs have to meet, to begin with, internationallineaments and parameters. These points constitute the fundament of  thework here reviewed. The study has an assumption, which is presented atthe beginning:In order to develop an education information system, is indispensable to firstknow the parts of the educative system and the way these are related amongthem. Only in this way it will be possible to adapt the information system tothe specific characteristics of the studied educative system and not in the op-posite way, as sometimes it is intended to convert the information system intoa pre-built model which the educative system will have to adapt to (p. 10).Similarly, it is necessary, to bear in mind that the educative systems arehuman constructions and, therefore, will always be able to be improved,according to the interests and/o social needs. With this point, it is proposedthe analysis of  the main structural aspects of  the educational system andnot the qualitative, operative or functional matters.In the analysis five dimensions of the Mexican educative system aredefined: levels, modalities, control, sustenance and regionalization. In eachof these dimension several categories can be identifies, with which aneducative program can be classified, as well as the criteria to place it. Theconstruction of  the text, then, it is constituted from the dimensionsmentioned, and each one of  them is the title of  a chapter. In the sameo begin with, the objective of this work consists on the elaborationof  a basic information model of  the Mexican education system, forwhich it is parted from international criteria. Fundamentally it is203Emilio Gerardo Arriaga Álvarez, The main axis of a nation project: the Mexican education systemorder: 1. Levels, 2. Modalities, 3. Control, 4. Sustenance, and 5.Regionalization.The first chapter, where the level dimension is approaches, starts withthe definition that corresponds to the notion of  structure.The structure of a system is conceived as an ordered series of elements,which only acquire full sense in the extent that ones are observed in referenceto the others. […] The element is the basic unit for the analysis of  the struc-tures (p.13).Structure and element are initial concepts of  the reference frameworkof  the object of  study: the educative system. So, the basic unit, the element,is constituted by the educative program. The definition is that the UNESCOprovides, and is conceives as a “series or sequence of educational activitiesorganized to achieve a predetermined objective, this is, a specific series ofeducative tasks” (p. 13-14). In this way, the study of  the educative systemimplies the analysis of the way its educational programs are organized.The educative levels are fundamental organization criteria and aremeasured in annual cycles that correspond to the age of  the pupils. Tobegin with, if the current situation is referred importantly to the globalizationprocess, the structure of  the educative systems has to adequate and/or toreconstitute in terms of  the conditions of  the international context and itsstandards. In order to do this, the argumentation is the following:We cannot consider as an exaggeration the possibility that in a reasonablyshort term, there can be an international educative model, that of  course,respects the particularities of each national, regional or local culture, but that iscapable of facilitating a simple and efficient student exchange in the wholeworld (p. 20).The first comparative exercise is proposed with a table that, at the sametime, is conformed in an important axis in the text’s argumentation. Thistable is constituted by four columns where there are presented from left toright the years of duration, the ISCED proposal, the Mexican educativesystem and the levels.Convergencia, num. 41, May-August 2006, ISSN 1405-1435, UAEM, Mexico204Here can be seen the differences that form, in both levels as well as inthe programs proposed by levels: initial, pre-school, elementary, secondary,medium high, degree, actualization, specialty, Master degree and doctorate,regarding the ISCED. There are differences and they are significant. Thischapter provides a clear description and analysis of the mentioneddifferences.About the modalities, which are the subject of the second chapter, theproposal consists on the educative system needs: to develop modalitiesthat allow responding to both the requirements and interests of the societyin general, as other non-representative groups, but that are in need to betaken care of  the system. By educative modality, in the text is understood“the way the curricula is assumed, this is, the way a certain educative programis designed” (p. 44). The educative modality, therefore, maintainsinterference in all the elements of the teaching-learning process: objectives,contents, teaching and learning techniques, materials and evaluation systems.A relevant point mentioned by the authors: it is not the same level thanmodality. For example: when the elementary level is taught, the objectivesare the same, no matter is it about older adults, people over 15 years of ageor members of  an indigenous community. The objective is to achieve thedomination of  the reading-writing skills. What changes is the way theobjectives are adopted, the way the process is performed. The tracedmodalities are: ordinary and non-ordinary education, in attendanceeducation, and distance education. The analysis ends in the classificationand structuring in a table presented on the page 69.The third dimension proposed in the book corresponds to the matter ofthe control of  the educative programs. To this respect it is mentioned that:When analyzing the history of human kind it is clear that since the prehistoryto our day, the educative systems have not stopped increasing in duration andcomplexity, this is, of  improving. […] The development level of  a society isdirectly measured by the development level of its educative system. In thisprocess, the control has plated and still plays a role of the utmost importance(p. 73).205Emilio Gerardo Arriaga Álvarez, The main axis of a nation project: the Mexican education systemThe education is considered as the fundamental axis of every nationproject. The development possibilities of a society are based on controlsystems. The development possibilities of  a society are based on controlsystems. The control is not only necessary, but desirable, in terms of  theexistence of  a civilization as it is ours.The concept of control in the education includes the capability to defineand supervise central aspects of  the process, such as: the learning objectives,the selection and organization of the curricular contents, didactic material,accreditation systems, learning evaluation systems and the evaluation ofthe curricula.The control institutions are the organisms of a private or public naturethat are legally empowered to control the totality of the elements, by whichthe educative system works: curricula, materials, evaluation of the learning,certification, etc. The control institutions are those that in operational termsdetermine the form and function of  the educative programs. Theclassification by levels and by control is described in the table presented onpage 84.The sustenance is the fourth dimension of the Mexican educative system,proposed in this book. The financial sustenance is a subject approachedrecurrently in the wide spectrum of  the educative research. In this text, thesustenance parts from the difference between what spending means andwhat investing represents.The expense can or not, the expected result. When an expense is done, ex-pecting to obtain benefits in a predicable future, then it is qualified as aninvestment. In the last decades has prevailed the called neoliberal policy, ac-cording to which, although it is not explicitly admitted, the education is seen asan expense without return (p. 87).In the case of  Mexico, it is since the Republic’s Constitution that it isestablished the obligation of the State of providing basic education (pre-scholar, elementary and secondary); as well as promoting and attending theother levels and modalities, distributing its cost in the federation, the statesand the municipalities.Convergencia, num. 41, May-August 2006, ISSN 1405-1435, UAEM, Mexico206The argumentation regarding the expense in the education is based onthe GDP percentage assigned to such entry since 1990. With data from theCivil Observatory of  Education in 2001, a descriptive table is presentedon page 91.The fifth and last dimension of analysis of the text refers to theregionalization. Currently, this matter is linked to the need of  reducing thedifferences in the economic and social development levels. However, thereis also the need of  meeting and understanding the cultural differences. Theimportant part of  this subject consists on, in economic terms; it implies anintegration of Mexico to North America; but, the authors retake the UNvision, which considers our country as part of  Central America (p. 107).This point of view (the one from the UN) is the interesting one, since it isfrom where the things acquire a world-wide validity.The reader will find another two descriptive tables of the regionalizationof the Mexican higher education on pages 111 and on page 113 another onthe regionalization of  the education in the State of  Mexico.The conclusive part of the text contains what the authors denominate“a taxonomic map with the different classification criteria approached inthe body of  the text”. It is, in the authors’ words, a structure of  data thatwill allow constructing an educative information system for Mexico.The book is very recommendable for both experts, as well as thoseinitiating in the basic elements of  the wide spectrum of  the educationresearch. The text contains valuable details that are always useful to knowor remember. Besides the good prose of  the piece, it is clear at all times,which is most appreciated by us the readers.Emilio Gerardo Arriaga Álvarez, Ph. D, in Social Studies by theUniversidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Iztapalapa. He is a professor-researcher of the Centro de Innovación, Desarrollo e InvestigaciónEducativa (CIDIE) and of  the Facultad de Ciencias Políticas yAdministración Pública de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México(UAEM). He is the Editorial Director of  the inter-institutional journalTiempo de Educar. Dr. Arriaga Álvarez is holder of  the PROMEP profileand is member of the National Researchers System, level I. His lines of207Emilio Gerardo Arriaga Álvarez, The main axis of a nation project: the Mexican education systemresearch are: problems of the medium high and higher education of theUAEM, labour processes and sociology of  the power and the education.His most recent publications are: “Integración económica y educaciónsuperior en México”, in Tiempo de Educar, inter-institutional journal oneducation research, Toluca, México (2003); “El ajuste estructural en laeducación superior pública en México: una mirada”, in La educación superioren América Latina. Globalización, exclusión y pobreza, UniversidadAutónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco (2004); and “La educación superiorlatinoamericana en el espacio no euclidiano de la historia”, in Convergencia,Revista de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México(2004). Electronic mail address: egaa@uaemex.mxSent to dictum on: June 22nd 2006.Approval: June 30th, 2006.

Reseña de "La estructura del sistema educativo mexicano" de Adolfo López, Ignacio Morales y Elvia Silva

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Red Mexicana de Repositorios Institucionales

Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México