By IPS Correspondents
MEXICO, Oct 27 1995 (IPS)

Development perspectives for Mexico look gloomy given evidence of backwardness in the educational system and in the level of scientific research, experts here say.

Mexico annually spends 110 dollars per person on education, 92.7 percent less than Canada or the Unitaed States, its partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

At the same time, Mexico invests only 0.3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in science and technology, or 85 percent less than its two neighbours, according to independent studies.

Experts believe that Mexico’s relative educational and scientific backwardness suggests that government predictions that the country will attain a high level of progress in the medium term will not be realized.

According to official statistics, out of every 100 children who enroll in primary school, only one will enroll in a university. About 48 percent of Mexico’s population never completes primary school.

“The future does not look rosy and it’s worrisome that people dream of entry into the ‘first world’ when we haven’t achieved basic education,” commented Pablo Latapi, a researcher with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and an advisor to the Secretary of Education.

Some 33.1 million Mexicans, 36 percent of the total population, are either illiterate or among those older than fifteen years who did not complete school.

The average number of school years completed in Mexico is 6.7 compared to 12.6 in the United States and Canada.

“Our primary disadvantage in competing with more highly developed countries is our educational attainment. Mexican workers have much less schooling than those of our neighbouring countries,” Latapi observed.

Latapi believes that education will lag beyond the beginning of the 21st century despite the government’s plan to address the problem by spending 6 percent of GDP per year in educational programmes.

Researchers warn that educational shortcomings have a direct impact on the technological development of a country.

A study by the non-governmental Academy for Scientific Investigation shows that Mexico has only 20,000 scientific researchers, “a much lower percentage than the world average, which is 85 scientists for each 100,000 inhabitants.”

“A country that does not pursue applied science and lives on purchased technology is condemned to compete in second-class markets,” according to Miguel Yacaman, the former director of the National Council for Science and Technology and current head of the National Institute of Nuclear Research.

“Mexico needs technological growth and trained tecnicians in all economic sectors. We need to train people at the highest level as rapidly as the nation requires then and for that we need greater resources and better educational organization,” said Yacaman.

Because of Mexico’s educational backwardness, the majority of firms that export are highly dependent on foreign inputs and machinery. According to the Business Confederation, domestic industries import 1.50 dollars worth of inputs for every dollar in products that they sell abroad.

To speed industrial development and improve international competitiveness, Mexican universities “urgently need” to expand and improve their education, according to the secretary-general of UNAM, Jaime Martuscelli.

A study published by the National Association of Universities shows that Mexican institutions of higher learning enroll only 15 percent of the appropriate population age group of 20 to 24 years old and graduate only 53 percent of enrolled students on time.

“Population growth has prevented Mexican education, despite its advances, from reaching internationally-competitive levels. In a country where the population doubles every 26 years, we have to do a great deal just to stay in the same place,” observed the educational expert Sergio Sarmiento.

Twenty years ago, Mexicans completed on average only three years of primary education compared to the average of 6.7 today. But Sarmiento says this statistic could hide education’s qualitative decline.

“There are those who believe that the three-year educational average in 1970 is equivalent, in real learning, to the 6.7 year average today,” said Sarmiento.

Excerpt:

By IPS Correspondents
MEXICO, Oct 27 1995 (IPS)

Development perspectives for Mexico look gloomy given evidence of backwardness in the educational system and in the level of scientific research, experts here say.

Mexico annually spends 110 dollars per person on education, 92.7 percent less than Canada or the Unitaed States, its partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

At the same time, Mexico invests only 0.3 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in science and technology, or 85 percent less than its two neighbours, according to independent studies.

Experts believe that Mexico’s relative educational and scientific backwardness suggests that government predictions that the country will attain a high level of progress in the medium term will not be realized.

According to official statistics, out of every 100 children who enroll in primary school, only one will enroll in a university. About 48 percent of Mexico’s population never completes primary school.

“The future does not look rosy and it’s worrisome that people dream of entry into the ‘first world’ when we haven’t achieved basic education,” commented Pablo Latapi, a researcher with the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and an advisor to the Secretary of Education.

Some 33.1 million Mexicans, 36 percent of the total population, are either illiterate or among those older than fifteen years who did not complete school.

The average number of school years completed in Mexico is 6.7 compared to 12.6 in the United States and Canada.

“Our primary disadvantage in competing with more highly developed countries is our educational attainment. Mexican workers have much less schooling than those of our neighbouring countries,” Latapi observed.

Latapi believes that education will lag beyond the beginning of the 21st century despite the government’s plan to address the problem by spending 6 percent of GDP per year in educational programmes.

Researchers warn that educational shortcomings have a direct impact on the technological development of a country.

A study by the non-governmental Academy for Scientific Investigation shows that Mexico has only 20,000 scientific researchers, “a much lower percentage than the world average, which is 85 scientists for each 100,000 inhabitants.”

“A country that does not pursue applied science and lives on purchased technology is condemned to compete in second-class markets,” according to Miguel Yacaman, the former director of the National Council for Science and Technology and current head of the National Institute of Nuclear Research.

“Mexico needs technological growth and trained tecnicians in all economic sectors. We need to train people at the highest level as rapidly as the nation requires then and for that we need greater resources and better educational organization,” said Yacaman.

Because of Mexico’s educational backwardness, the majority of firms that export are highly dependent on foreign inputs and machinery. According to the Business Confederation, domestic industries import 1.50 dollars worth of inputs for every dollar in products that they sell abroad.

To speed industrial development and improve international competitiveness, Mexican universities “urgently need” to expand and improve their education, according to the secretary-general of UNAM, Jaime Martuscelli.

A study published by the National Association of Universities shows that Mexican institutions of higher learning enroll only 15 percent of the appropriate population age group of 20 to 24 years old and graduate only 53 percent of enrolled students on time.

“Population growth has prevented Mexican education, despite its advances, from reaching internationally-competitive levels. In a country where the population doubles every 26 years, we have to do a great deal just to stay in the same place,” observed the educational expert Sergio Sarmiento.

Twenty years ago, Mexicans completed on average only three years of primary education compared to the average of 6.7 today. But Sarmiento says this statistic could hide education’s qualitative decline.

“There are those who believe that the three-year educational average in 1970 is equivalent, in real learning, to the 6.7 year average today,” said Sarmiento.

Excerpt: