Moving to Mexico City with School Age Kids
Finding an adequate school will be challenging
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
Education in Mexico is not the best. I know, I know; how can I come to that conclusion? Simple, because we struggled for years to find an adequate school for our daughter. Even with the two good ones we found, we continued to supplement her learning at home.
I don't talk much in my guide about the educational system here in Mexico. I instead concentrate on simple facts that help you with your comfort by expanding on the topics about life in Mexico from my posts.
Nevertheless, I want to discuss your child’s education so that you get the most out of your buck and your child does not fall behind. There is a lot of information to know, please bear with me.
History of Education in Mexico
Mexico’s educational system is strongly linked to its turbulent history and is deeply in-rooted in the ethnic and class divisions that exist here. It was set up by the Catholic Church during the Colonial era and limited exclusively to males of the ruling Aristocracy.
It wasn’t until 1833 that a public education system was created in Mexico by Santa Anna’s vice president Valentin Gomez Farias. However, education continued to be an ongoing conflict between the Roman Catholic Church and the Mexican state.
Change came with liberal reforms that followed the Mexican Revolution. Church and state were separated by The Constitution of 1917. Consequently, prohibiting religious instruction in public schools and strengthening the Mexican state’s power in education.
This allowed the Mexican state to directly shape the education of its citizens through the promotion of secular education. Access to education in Mexico was implemented by the expansion of public schools, including in rural areas.
Not much has changed
Disparity in education is still seen today in Mexico. The southern states of Mexico, rural areas with large indigenous populations, have limited access to education or no schooling at all. While central states and some border towns flourish with a school at every corner.
The same mentality still exists when it comes to who and how education is taught. There are two educational systems, one for the poor and one for the well off. I believe this has a lot to do with the Church not given up total control.
You will find that private schools in Mexico, which receive no public funds, maintain religious associations. Also, education is still not seen as a priority for females and usually only a small amount of women continue on to higher education.
Let me tell you about a cousin of mine. He lived and worked in the US for about 5 years before returning to Mexico to start a family. Once here, both of his children, a male and a female, attended private schools.
Over time, he constantly stated again and again, that his daughter would not be going to private schools after elementary. Instead, she was going to attend public schools and only his son would be going to private schools until he graduated from high school.
His sole reason was that his daughter would eventually get married and did not need an education. I was like……oh, yeah. So why invest in her future? I got you.
Structure of the basic education system in Mexico
Education in Mexico is structured similarly to the American educational system. It is regulated by the Secretaria de Educacion Publica (SEP) and includes a range of levels that are determined by the student's age and proficiency. The levels are as follows:
1. Preschool (Pre-escolar): Federally funded programs for children ages 4-5. Usually in IMSS Guarderias because it is provided for low-income families with working parents.
2. Elementary School (Primarias): Schools with grades 1-6 and mandatory for all children ages 6-11. They have at least one teacher per grade and new SEP standards require a second language to be taught. Great emphasis is put on reading, writing and oral expression.
3. Middle or Junior High Schools (Secundarias): Schools that enroll most non-rural students, grades 7-9, including those who are college-bound. Students in this age range (12-15) may also attend Tecnicas, schools that provide vocational training for non-college-bound students, or Telesecundarias, rural schools offering a televised curriculum, which enroll a majority of rural students. One continues to sharpen language and written abilities while also working on mathematical proficiency.
4. High School (Preparatorias): Students in grades 10-12 (ages 15-18). Includes both Preparatorias and Bachilleratos, schools for college-bound youth, where students must choose one of 4 professional areas: physical-mathematics, chemical-biological, economic-administrative, or humanities. Also includes Tecnnologicas and Comercios, schools for students who have a particular vocational career in mind. The 3 core structures are basic training, professional training and work training to develop scientific, technical and humanistic knowledge.
There are two programs that Mexican students enroll in. One is SEP incorporated and determined by the Government for public schools. The second is University incorporated and established by a local University for private schools.
Whichever program you choose, they will be regulated by the SEP (Secretaria de Educacion Publica). Any problems you have can be solved by contacting SEP. They are the authority.
Process of getting into a public school (COMIPEMS)
Back home, I would just send my child to the neighborhood school that was closest to our house. As long as all the paperwork is in order, enrolling my child in school is an easy task.
Not here. There is so much bureaucracy involved for education, and pretty much everything else, in Mexico.
Your first step should be to research which public school is the best choice for everyone. There are some schools in Mexico City you do not want to send your child to.
For a student to get into a junior high and/or a high school, an exam will have to be taken. The score you get on the COMIPEMS will determine which school you will be attending.
You are asked for your 3 top schools of choice before you take the exam. However, you are in no way guaranteed a spot in any of your choices.
We were really excited when the time came for our daughter to take the exam. Finally, some financial relief. Our mouths were watering at the thought of not having to pay overpriced schools for a mediocre education.
Imagine our surprise when our daughter was assigned to a school in one of the worst colonias in Mexico City. Not only was it more than an hour away with normal traffic, it was also in the turno vespertino, evening classes.
I don't understand how this happens when my daughter was in the top 5% of the entire school, not just her grade. And of course you don't get the opportunity to challenge the results.
On the other hand, you will be able to get your child into the school of your choosing if you know someone high up in the Secretaria de Educacion Publica (SEP). We know a few that got into their school of choice with what we call here "dedazo".
Private Schools in Mexico (Particulares)
So, my daughter continued to attend private schools. I can tell you that it did not mean she received a better education. Private schools in Mexico do not have the same significance as getting a private education in other parts of the world.
It is not like you are sending your child to a prep school to increase their chances of getting into a good college of their choosing. The only difference between a public and private school in Mexico is that you don’t pay for public schools.
What we noticed was that most kids weren't pushed hard enough to reach their potential. Kids and parents felt empowered because they were “paying customers". Parents constantly yelled at teachers stuff such as, "Don't tell my child what to do" or "You cannot fail my child".
Once, I even witnessed a parent slap a teacher because she did not agree with her kid being disciplined by the teacher. Instead of teaching them to respect others, they are being taught that the rules don't apply to them. Then we wonder why Mexico is the way it is.
Although the learning material is more advanced and they learn more subjects at a faster rate than back home, for us, a drawback was the quality of education my child was receiving. Due to various factors in the classroom, we found ourselves having to supplement her education by re-teaching subjects at home.
A plus is their installations. Particulares have facilities that are more suitable for learning. Also, your child will have more desirable influences on their development. Of course, this has more to do with your child than anything else.
Cost of Education in Mexico
Education in Mexico City is not cheap. Better yet, nothing here is cheap. The price can range from $3,000 pesos a month to up in the high $20,000 pesos a month, between $150 and $1,000 US dollars, respectively.
You also have to pay a onetime inscription fee, pay a re-inscription fee for returning students, buy uniforms and purchase textbooks. These are paid upfront and will vary in price, but will most likely set you back about another $1,000 US dollars.
Most of these prices go up when you enroll your child in a foreign, bilingual or cultural school. Do not expect too much when it comes to the English or other languages taught at these schools. You will be very disappointed.
You may get a discount if you pay the entire tuition at the beginning of the year. By Mexico standards, that means you will most likely get a month off from the 12 monthly payments.
Public Schools in Mexico (Publicas)
I stated earlier that you have to take a test in order to attend junior high and/or high school in Mexico. This applies only to public schools. I also said that there are some public schools you don’t want to send your kid to. Remember?
Well, that is why the COMIPEMS is so important. A higher score will increase your child’s chances of literally getting into a good public school. And of course, the better schools are in the better parts of Mexico City.
Free education is guaranteed by the Constitution of Mexico. It just does not guaranteed quality education. For this reason, most parents of children that do not get into a public school of their choosing, opt to send their kids to a private school.
Mexico budgets money for education to the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE), the Teacher’s Union here. It has total discrepancy of how and on what that money is spent. A separate budget is also given to the SEP.
Both of these budgets account for about 18% of the total yearly budget. Wow! That is a lot of money in the hands of a few. Guess where most of that money goes. Yup, you guessed right. More than 88% goes to paying administrative and teacher salaries.
Just about everyone involved in the education system in Mexico belongs to the Teacher’s Union. They pay fees and most of the time resort to buying their plaza, teacher position, from the SNTE.
Very little money is left for qualified teachers, scholarships, textbooks, installations, testing and much less for new schools. Because of under-funding and uneven distribution of resources, most schools offer classes in half day sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
A note on public schools. Teachers sometimes don't even bother showing up for class. You can lose a semester or an entire year for reasons that are totally out of your control.
Conclusion
My advice to you when the time comes to choose between a private and public school is simple. Ask yourself what your future plans are. Are you planning on going back to where you are from or are you going to make a life in Mexico?
If you are going back home, you should invest in a private education because it will prepare your child better. If you decide that you are staying in Mexico, then you should enroll your child in a public school.
This will give them the advantage of making it easier for them to get into a public university, like UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico). Regardless of which you choose, no kid can be held back a grade in Mexico. I think there is some unwritten rule that does not allow the SEP from flunking a child.
Recently, the SEP (Secretaria de Educacion Publica) just announced that they are investing over $450 million pesos, equivalent to about $25 million dollars, for online classes (in Spanish). It's great! Universal education. Your decision has just become easier.
You can send your child to school or have them learn online for half a day and home-school for the other half. Your children will have the opportunity to integrate themselves into Mexican culture, learn Spanish and still get their necessary education.
By the way, ask what type of English is taught in the classroom. Is it American English or British English? It differs a bit.
A very important detail is to make sure to bring all documents with an official apostille. Schools and government agencies will ask for them.
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