POLItics and Economics
The Status of Education in Mexico
The United Nations developed The Universal Declaration of Human Rights which includes a list of rights all human beings should be entitled to. Article 26 of the declaration states that, “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages...education shall be compulsory, generally available, and directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,” (UN Declaration of Human Rights). In a more simplified definition, article 26 simply states that quality education should be readily available to all. Although this is the case for many countries around the world, there are those who are not as fortunate. For this reason, the United Nations put together a Global Education Initiative in which they hope will accelerate progress towards bettering education for all world citizen. The Global Education Initiative has three main priorities; they aim to put every child in school, improve the quality of learning, and foster global citizenship. The initiative which began at the turn of the century in the year 2000 will continue through 2015 in hopes that world leaders and communities will rally together to create a more acceptable education system.
The Global Education Initiative established the three main priorities mentioned above to expand access to education and to ensure all world citizens have an equal opportunity in learning. The first of the priorities which is to put every child in school simply focuses on making sure everyone has access to education which is in fact a natural birth right. The second priority, improving the quality of learning focuses on opening new pathways of learning that will boost school attendance and effectiveness. Lastly the third priority within the initiative is to foster Global Citizenship, this priority aims to help countries around the world face global challenges through education.
The country of Mexico, one which has struggled with poverty and the enormous gap between classes, is only one among hundreds of countries in which education still does not fully meet the general guidelines and expectations of The Global Education First Initiative. The following data was collected from several internet sources and brought together to show the status of Mexican education, and how the government and school board have taken the initiative into consideration.
The Global Education Initiative established the three main priorities mentioned above to expand access to education and to ensure all world citizens have an equal opportunity in learning. The first of the priorities which is to put every child in school simply focuses on making sure everyone has access to education which is in fact a natural birth right. The second priority, improving the quality of learning focuses on opening new pathways of learning that will boost school attendance and effectiveness. Lastly the third priority within the initiative is to foster Global Citizenship, this priority aims to help countries around the world face global challenges through education.
The country of Mexico, one which has struggled with poverty and the enormous gap between classes, is only one among hundreds of countries in which education still does not fully meet the general guidelines and expectations of The Global Education First Initiative. The following data was collected from several internet sources and brought together to show the status of Mexican education, and how the government and school board have taken the initiative into consideration.
The education system in Mexico is primarily structured around a twelve year sequence known as Educacion Basica/ Basic Education. The first strand of the ten year process is known as Educacion Preescolar/ Pre-K and Kindergarten and it consists of children age 3 to age 5 lasting a total of 3 years. This strand of education, is not required by law, but it is recommended in order to ensure the correct cognitive, comprehensive, behavioral, and social development of young children. Primary education continues after Pre-k and Kindergarten and it advances toward Escuela de Educacion Primaria/Elementary Education. This strand of education includes children from age 6 to age 11 and it ranges from first to sixth grade. In Elementary school children in Mexico are expected to gain general education practices that include but are not limited to bicultural education, scientific and social disciplines, practices in biology, chemistry, physic, foreign language, arts, and technology. The third and final part of the twelve year sequence that follows Elementary School is Educacion Secundaria or Educacion Media Basica which is lower secondary education/middle school. This last strand requires 3 years of study in school which may include private vocational programs often in business and technology. Basic Education in Mexico is required by law (excluding Pre-K) through lower secondary education. Education Media Superior or Preparatoria and Licenciatura otherwise known as high school and a four year college are not required by law.
In accordance with article 26 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, “Mexican public education is secular, free and accessible to all, as granted by the constitution…” (USA Today). Despite this fact, the status of Mexican education is a rocky one, especially in the more rural and poor areas. Mexico has been named among the worst ranking countries in developing education. Many schools have a less than adequate learning environments with no drinking water, little classroom space, and at times no teachers. Although circumstances like these are highly common in the country, there are several parts of Mexico in which a high quality education is highly possible. This is a result of a highly segregated education system. Children in a wealthy areas are put in highly qualified private schools opposed to those children in more rural areas who attend schools with little to no money to spend on education. Education enrollment in primary school which is mandated by the government in Mexico is currently 18.5 million students the number of students who complete primary school and more to secondary education drops to only 5.8 million. In year’s prior, national census taken in Mexico have stated that in the year 1960 43.7% of Mexicans over the age of five had not completed a single year of schooling (WENR).
In accordance with article 26 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, “Mexican public education is secular, free and accessible to all, as granted by the constitution…” (USA Today). Despite this fact, the status of Mexican education is a rocky one, especially in the more rural and poor areas. Mexico has been named among the worst ranking countries in developing education. Many schools have a less than adequate learning environments with no drinking water, little classroom space, and at times no teachers. Although circumstances like these are highly common in the country, there are several parts of Mexico in which a high quality education is highly possible. This is a result of a highly segregated education system. Children in a wealthy areas are put in highly qualified private schools opposed to those children in more rural areas who attend schools with little to no money to spend on education. Education enrollment in primary school which is mandated by the government in Mexico is currently 18.5 million students the number of students who complete primary school and more to secondary education drops to only 5.8 million. In year’s prior, national census taken in Mexico have stated that in the year 1960 43.7% of Mexicans over the age of five had not completed a single year of schooling (WENR).
A main priority that the Global Education First Initiative has put into place is to improve the quality of learning for all. The Mexican government has taken into account the critical condition of the education system in the country, and it has successfully started programs to improve the educational opportunities for youth in Mexico. These initiatives were started by Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo whose presidency concluded the same year that the Initiative began. Programs like PROGRESA which is dedicated to prove aid to poor families in rural areas have also been created by the government to help increase the quality of education. PROGRESA provides money for schooling to cover essential materials such as school uniforms, textbooks, and healthcare for students In a State of the Union Address Zedillo touched on the initiatives that the country began during his term to improve education. The government’s spending on education was significantly increased by 25 cents for every peso that was spent by the government. The money accumulated by this new government fund was used to build new and improved primary and technical schools, distribute textbooks to 90% of Mexican public schools, and it was used to enroll 9 out of 10 children between ages 6 and 14 in school. . The increase of enrollment has seen an expansive growth throughout the years, “according to the most recent government data the number of enrolled students has risen to 34.8 million students across all education levels,” (WENR). Putting every child in school, is yet another priority for the United Nations. The country of Mexico has increased enrollment ratios from 54% to 89% from 1991 to 2010. Fostering global citizenship is the last of the three priorities that were set by the initiative. Mexican officials and school board are now working with schools to increase the quality of their leadership and management to increase the involvement of the community in education.
The Mexican education system has had an exponential growth since the early 1900s. Enrollment growth is perhaps one of the main factors that has contributed to the growth of education, but although Mexico has made several moves to increase educational opportunities, they are still not up to par when it comes to the standards set forth by the Global Education First Initiative. The current status of Mexican education is no longer as rocky as it was just a few decades ago. Beginning in the late 1900s and early 2000s when the initiative was first introduced, Mexico began to implement educational reforms that included standardized examinations, and institutional evaluations and accreditations. All this being said Mexico still faces educational challenges. These challenges include meeting the needs of the heavily increasing student population and creating and maintaining a high quality education system that will uphold to the standards presented in the Global Education Initiative and Article 26 of the Declaration of Human Rights.
The Mexican education system has had an exponential growth since the early 1900s. Enrollment growth is perhaps one of the main factors that has contributed to the growth of education, but although Mexico has made several moves to increase educational opportunities, they are still not up to par when it comes to the standards set forth by the Global Education First Initiative. The current status of Mexican education is no longer as rocky as it was just a few decades ago. Beginning in the late 1900s and early 2000s when the initiative was first introduced, Mexico began to implement educational reforms that included standardized examinations, and institutional evaluations and accreditations. All this being said Mexico still faces educational challenges. These challenges include meeting the needs of the heavily increasing student population and creating and maintaining a high quality education system that will uphold to the standards presented in the Global Education Initiative and Article 26 of the Declaration of Human Rights.
OIl production and consumption
Mexico is one of the 10 largest oil produces in the world and it is the third largest producer in the Americas. Mexico is an important oilt trade partner with the United States. Oil production is an important factor in the Mexican economy. The oil sector generated 13% of the countries export earnings in the 2013 fiscal year. Earnings from the oil industry also accounted for 32% of the government revenue in 2013. However these numbers have a history of being much larger. The oil production industry began to decline in Mexico during 2005 and it has become less widespread for the past 7 years. The Mexican government took action and began to address the oil sector decline by ending a 75 year oil company monopoly; Petroleos Mexicanos, more popularly known as PEMEX. The decline in the oil sector has directly impacted the Mexican economy and the Mexican people.
Based on the information shared above, it is safe to say that oil production in Mexico is of great importance. This being said, I believe that the county has a great advantage over others who do not produce the amount of oil that they do because they are able to use the oil that they produce as resource to better living conditions, for transportation, and as as an import revenue. Living conditions in the country vary like any other depending on your geographical location. There are extremely poor regions who may not have the oil resources that the country produces readily available to them, and there are big cities like Mexico City, the countries capital which has a large city scape with large buildings and a highly urban population. The use of land for onshore oil production is heavily based on the southern part of the country which totals to 77% of the countries entire onshore production land. The largest and most notable onshore production field is Aceite Terciario del Golfo (ATG) which is also known as Chicontepec. This is a large field composed of dozens of smaller fields that are spread over hundreds of square miles northeast of Mexico city. Mexico’s oil export relationships with the United States leads me to believe that the oil sector plays an important role in social development, because it allows Mexico to build bonds with other countries around the world.
Based on the information shared above, it is safe to say that oil production in Mexico is of great importance. This being said, I believe that the county has a great advantage over others who do not produce the amount of oil that they do because they are able to use the oil that they produce as resource to better living conditions, for transportation, and as as an import revenue. Living conditions in the country vary like any other depending on your geographical location. There are extremely poor regions who may not have the oil resources that the country produces readily available to them, and there are big cities like Mexico City, the countries capital which has a large city scape with large buildings and a highly urban population. The use of land for onshore oil production is heavily based on the southern part of the country which totals to 77% of the countries entire onshore production land. The largest and most notable onshore production field is Aceite Terciario del Golfo (ATG) which is also known as Chicontepec. This is a large field composed of dozens of smaller fields that are spread over hundreds of square miles northeast of Mexico city. Mexico’s oil export relationships with the United States leads me to believe that the oil sector plays an important role in social development, because it allows Mexico to build bonds with other countries around the world.
the Mexican economic system
Brief Over View
What will be produced with Mexico's resources?
Agriculture: Mexico has a large agricultural industry that produces corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit. There are also hundreds of cattle and chicken farms that produce beef poultry, dairy products, and eggs. All of these products are used to feed millions of people, not just in Mexico but around the world thanks to Mexico’s free trade system.
Industries: Mexico also has a large variety of industries that contribute to its economy and to the production of thousands of products. Industries include the food and beverage industry, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, mining, textiles, motor vehicles, consumer durables, and tourism. Perhaps the largest industries in the country besides the agriculture/food industry are the mining, iron/steel, and motor vehicle industries. Mexico produces a large amount of oil that helps produce energy for the country itself and others who import their oil from Mexico. The steel/iron along with the automotive industry are also important to Mexico because they help produce many materials exported all over the world along with the manufacturing of cars for the U.S. based company general motors.
How will goods be produced?
The two top production practices that bring Mexico a substantial amount of its economic revenue are agriculture oil production. According to the World Bank, Mexico used 54.9% of its land area for agricultural purposes allowing maximum opportunity for farming and the production of crop. Oil production happens through Mexico's highly successful oil drilling industry. Mexico produces 2.9 billion barrels of oil per day, and its oil exports total to 13% of the countries export earnings. Drilling is the way Mexico harvests their oil supply, so they have dozens of oil plants onshore and also drill for oil offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
Who will use these goods?
The crops harvested on Mexican soil are largely used to feed the Mexican people. Other industry products however are used worldwide especially by thousands of people in the United States, Canada, Spain, China, and Colombia.
Will these goods be exported?
Much of the Mexican economy depends on the NAFTA agreement, free trade of imports and exports. This being said, many of the main products made in Mexico are exported to gain a profit. The top five Mexican exports include crude oil, cars, computers, video displays, and delivery trucks, all which come from the large Mexican industries of oil and iron and steel production.
Agriculture: Mexico has a large agricultural industry that produces corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beans, cotton, coffee, fruit. There are also hundreds of cattle and chicken farms that produce beef poultry, dairy products, and eggs. All of these products are used to feed millions of people, not just in Mexico but around the world thanks to Mexico’s free trade system.
Industries: Mexico also has a large variety of industries that contribute to its economy and to the production of thousands of products. Industries include the food and beverage industry, tobacco, chemicals, iron and steel, mining, textiles, motor vehicles, consumer durables, and tourism. Perhaps the largest industries in the country besides the agriculture/food industry are the mining, iron/steel, and motor vehicle industries. Mexico produces a large amount of oil that helps produce energy for the country itself and others who import their oil from Mexico. The steel/iron along with the automotive industry are also important to Mexico because they help produce many materials exported all over the world along with the manufacturing of cars for the U.S. based company general motors.
How will goods be produced?
The two top production practices that bring Mexico a substantial amount of its economic revenue are agriculture oil production. According to the World Bank, Mexico used 54.9% of its land area for agricultural purposes allowing maximum opportunity for farming and the production of crop. Oil production happens through Mexico's highly successful oil drilling industry. Mexico produces 2.9 billion barrels of oil per day, and its oil exports total to 13% of the countries export earnings. Drilling is the way Mexico harvests their oil supply, so they have dozens of oil plants onshore and also drill for oil offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
Who will use these goods?
The crops harvested on Mexican soil are largely used to feed the Mexican people. Other industry products however are used worldwide especially by thousands of people in the United States, Canada, Spain, China, and Colombia.
Will these goods be exported?
Much of the Mexican economy depends on the NAFTA agreement, free trade of imports and exports. This being said, many of the main products made in Mexico are exported to gain a profit. The top five Mexican exports include crude oil, cars, computers, video displays, and delivery trucks, all which come from the large Mexican industries of oil and iron and steel production.
Economic system summary
Type of Economy, and Three Main Factors (Poverty, Labor Force, Resource Use)
A free market economy is a market based economy where prices for services and goods are set by the rate of supply and demand. Mexico has a free market economy with a mix of services, industry, and agriculture that are primarily dominated by the private sector (KPMG). However the county did not always have this kind of economic practices. It was not until Mexico joined the World Trade Organization in 1985 that Mexico transformed form a closed economy to an open one. In the following decades, Mexico became a part of NAFTA in 1994 and has since then become an export oriented economy. The country currently has the second largest economy in Latin America. However its GPD per capita is only one third of the United State due to the highly uneven distribution of wealth in the country. Mexico’s economy is heavily interdependent with the United States because 80% of its exports go to the U.S.
Mexico’s poor distribution of wealth says a lot about the poverty status of the country. Although the country as a whole has a growing economy, many Mexican citizens do not benefit from it, in fact the poor distribution of economic wealth that is present in the country is so great that over 50% of the Mexican people live below the poverty line.
The Mexican labor force however is positively impacted by the economy. The distribution of labor in the country mainly consists of 3 occupations, agriculture (13.4%), industry (24.1%), and services (61.9%). The three main occupations directly correlate with the countries most popular economic factors meaning that due to the success of these factors and the amount of products and services produced, the Mexican people have work opportunities available to them.
The way Mexico uses its resources can be seen by how they handle the nation's most valuable resource, Petroleum. Its strong crude oil output allows for the countries use, and for exporting purposes. When compared to other countries, Mexico has a fairly advanced economic system that benefits the countries prosperity as a whole. This being said, it seems although Mexico does an excellent job handling and making the most if its most important resources, but that is not always the case. Although many benefit form Mexican exports, there are millions of Mexican citizens who do not have the resources Mexico exports to other countries.
Mexican economy does have its faults. Those faults have resulted in an unbalanced social class system with two extremes which include the wealthy, and the extremely poor. This being said, it is safe to assume that the Mexican economy is perhaps built to only benefit citizens of wealth and not the common people.
Quick Facts:
Mexico's GPD = 1.261 trillion USD
Mexicos's GPD per capita = 10,307.28 USD
A free market economy is a market based economy where prices for services and goods are set by the rate of supply and demand. Mexico has a free market economy with a mix of services, industry, and agriculture that are primarily dominated by the private sector (KPMG). However the county did not always have this kind of economic practices. It was not until Mexico joined the World Trade Organization in 1985 that Mexico transformed form a closed economy to an open one. In the following decades, Mexico became a part of NAFTA in 1994 and has since then become an export oriented economy. The country currently has the second largest economy in Latin America. However its GPD per capita is only one third of the United State due to the highly uneven distribution of wealth in the country. Mexico’s economy is heavily interdependent with the United States because 80% of its exports go to the U.S.
Mexico’s poor distribution of wealth says a lot about the poverty status of the country. Although the country as a whole has a growing economy, many Mexican citizens do not benefit from it, in fact the poor distribution of economic wealth that is present in the country is so great that over 50% of the Mexican people live below the poverty line.
The Mexican labor force however is positively impacted by the economy. The distribution of labor in the country mainly consists of 3 occupations, agriculture (13.4%), industry (24.1%), and services (61.9%). The three main occupations directly correlate with the countries most popular economic factors meaning that due to the success of these factors and the amount of products and services produced, the Mexican people have work opportunities available to them.
The way Mexico uses its resources can be seen by how they handle the nation's most valuable resource, Petroleum. Its strong crude oil output allows for the countries use, and for exporting purposes. When compared to other countries, Mexico has a fairly advanced economic system that benefits the countries prosperity as a whole. This being said, it seems although Mexico does an excellent job handling and making the most if its most important resources, but that is not always the case. Although many benefit form Mexican exports, there are millions of Mexican citizens who do not have the resources Mexico exports to other countries.
Mexican economy does have its faults. Those faults have resulted in an unbalanced social class system with two extremes which include the wealthy, and the extremely poor. This being said, it is safe to assume that the Mexican economy is perhaps built to only benefit citizens of wealth and not the common people.
Quick Facts:
Mexico's GPD = 1.261 trillion USD
Mexicos's GPD per capita = 10,307.28 USD
Works Cited
Education System in Mexico. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://www.classbase.com/countries/Mexico/Education-System
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Declaration, Human Rights Charter, The Un and Human Rights. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr
UN Global Education First Initiative – United Nations Secretary General's Global Initiative on Education – Education First. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from
USA TODAY. (2012, March 30). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-03-21/mexico-education/5387
WENR. Education in Mexico - WENR. (2013, April 30). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://wenr.wes.org/2013/05/wenr-may-2013-an-overview-of-education-in-mexico/
Mexico. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.kpmg.com/Ca/en/industry/Mining/Documents/Mexico-revised.pdf Mexican Economy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Declaration, Human Rights Charter, The Un and Human Rights. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr
UN Global Education First Initiative – United Nations Secretary General's Global Initiative on Education – Education First. (n.d.). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from
USA TODAY. (2012, March 30). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-03-21/mexico-education/5387
WENR. Education in Mexico - WENR. (2013, April 30). Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://wenr.wes.org/2013/05/wenr-may-2013-an-overview-of-education-in-mexico/
Mexico. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from http://www.kpmg.com/Ca/en/industry/Mining/Documents/Mexico-revised.pdf Mexican Economy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2015, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html