Education Reforms in Mexico
In the late ’80s and early ’90s, then-President Carlos Salinas de Gortari launched a nationwide program to modernize Mexico’s education system. He aimed to achieve this by improving textbooks and reforming the curriculum, all while continuing to work to close the equity gap. Since then, successive administrations have attempted various methods of improving educational outcomes, including the expansion of public universities and the establishment of compulsory basic education.
The current President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, took office in late 2024 and has since introduced a series of education reforms. These education reforms in Mexico fall under the Comprehensive Plan of the National Baccalaureate System, part of the New Mexican School framework originally developed by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The plan is built on three core pillars:
- Comprehensive strengthening
- Integration
- Expansion
Comprehensive Strengthening
Sheinbaum aims to modernize the curriculum through conversations with educators and the establishment of educational equity programs. To achieve these goals, her administration would implement two programs: the Benito Juarez Universal Scholarship and the extension of the School is Ours program.
The Benito Juarez Universal Scholarship encourages students to enroll in upper secondary school by providing financial support to more than 5.6 million secondary school students. In the same vein, Sheinbaum plans to invest around 4.6 billion pesos (about $243 million) into the School is Ours program, which will ultimately benefit more than 6,000 schools nationwide by improving educator salaries and encouraging community involvement.
Integration
In addition to providing scholarships, the plan consolidates the existing 31 systems of secondary education into two: the National General Baccalaureate and the General Technological Baccalaureate. The unification brings about various benefits, including the reduction of administrative barriers when transferring between schools, easier transfer processes for students and teachers and equity in the quality of education.
As a part of the plan, the two systems of education will be validated by the National Polytechnic Institute and the National Technological Institute of Mexico, thus simplifying the transition between secondary and higher education.
Expansion
Sheinbaum hopes to expand educational offerings throughout the nation in an effort to increase equity and access. Through the plan, her administration sets forward to create 37,500 new spaces for students in upper secondary schools. She plans to achieve this by erecting 20 new high school campuses and expanding 30 already-existent but high-in-demand campuses.
In addition, 35 secondary schools that currently only offer morning classes will be converted to afternoon and evening schools, allowing more students to attend at flexible hours. By the end of six years, Sheinbaum hopes to have created more than 100,000 high school spots and 330,000 university slots.
Final Remarks
Though Sheinbaum has only been in office for a few months, her administration has made tangible progress in expanding educational access. With her six-year plan in action, she seeks to create an education system built on unity and equity. Suppose she continues to progress as she has in these past months. In that case, Mexico is on the way to ensuring quality education for its people.
– Ariana Wang
Ariana is based in Dallas, TX, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Unsplash
