Mauricio Garca Hernndez

Education in Mexico
In this essay I will talk about the main differences between public and private
education in Mexico, highlighting the main attributes of each. In Mexico there
are contrasts and differences in almost all aspects: economic, social, natural an
educational. This is where we asked ourselves what kind of education is better,
private or public.
First of all a definition of education. It is a fundamental means to acquire,
transmit and enhance the culture through a process that contributes to the
development of people, and is a determining factor for the acquisition of
knowledge, encouraging all the skills and capabilities that make it up, so that it
can act efficiency and initiative on practical issues of life
Now the public education. Each institution has its own ways to justify their
existence, the certainty of its prestige and quality of their curricula. The
problem is obtaining data; very few are obtained fairly in public as in private
institutions, which causes that the comparison is not objective. In Mexico there
is an organization called SEP (ministry of public education), which allows almost
everything for fear of the labor unions; in other words, teachers who are absent
from school, poor education, protests against leaders, etc. Do I do not think we
could demand academic excellence to students that misses class every month
because their teachers are fighting for justice.
Another aspect is the difference between the fantastic results presented by
the SEP, and the devastating results that UNESCO presents. A sad reality is that
the country only invests in education at election time, when there are external
pressures or when it really is inevitable, instead of thinking about education as
a priority. Fortunately not everything is bad in public education; there are
institutions where the quality of education is good, for example UNAM, UAG,
INP, etc.
The economic status of people also influences the education they can access.
Unfortunately, in Mexico there is a high level of poverty, which means that
many people enroll their children in public institutions, no matter if they are
good or not. There are situations where young people are forced to leave
school to financially support their parents. The future of these young people is
ruined, because without studies their opportunities decrease, as the chances of
having a good quality of life.
Moreover we have private education. In these institutions, teachers receive
salary for teaching classes, not because a union prevents his their dismissal, no
matter if they are qualified to teach or not. Unlike public education, in private,
the absence of teachers are not allowed, and less for a month of
demonstrations. The prestige of these institutions depends on the quality of its
graduates, the speed in which they found job and how companies evaluate the
professionals. Private education is not influenced at times of choice or by

Mauricio Garca Hernndez

outside pressures, but the quality is certified by international organizations that
do not have institutional interests.
In conclusion I would say that Mexico should improve public education because
there are few institutions that are considered good in quality education.
Obviously not mean that all private institutions are excellent, however in my
opinion, it is easier to find quality education in a private institution than in a
public institution.