The Mexican educational system consists of three levels: primary, secondary, and higher education. Formal basic education encompasses preschool, elementary, and lower secondary. Basic education accounts for approximately 81 percent of the total number of students receiving school services. Federal, state, and local governments provide 93 percent of basic education, while private schools provide about 7 percent.  In 2000 there were 29,700,000 students enrolled in all levels of education.  Of these, 23,612,000 were enrolled in basic education grades. According to estimates from the Secretaría de Educación Pública or SEP (Public Education Secretariat), school enrollment for children aged 6 to 14 years stands at about 92.08 percent.  However, only 46.68 percent of those between the ages of 15 to 19 years attend school.

Higher education consists of three types: universities, technological colleges, and teacher-training institutes. There are private and public institutions of all three types, but public institutions are more numerous and usually larger, with over 80 percent of students attending public universities and colleges. Each state has at least one public university, often having campuses in different cities. The largest public university, the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, has more than 100,000 students.  ‘Over ninety technological institutes had about 17 percent of the total higher education population in 1994. Teacher-training institutes are separate from general universities and generally offer a four-year curriculum. Universities in fourteen states offer postgraduate courses, and in 1991 over 28,000 students were enrolled in master's degree programs and 1,250 in doctoral studies. Most students pursuing graduate work, however, do so outside Mexico.’ ^3.1

Access to Information and Communication Technologies in School: (Stage 2-3)

Over the past few years there has been a growing trend toward modernizing the educational systems in Mexico. The new technologies in the education sector will enable Mexico to improve its competitiveness in the global market. ‘Although Mexican schools have budget challenges, the Government has already invested in technology to enhance the quality of education, and as of today, 4.9% of public elementary schools and 13% of middle schools are already using computers and internet services.’ 3.2  According to http://www.aps.edu/aps/mckinley/library.html students in Mexico use the computers during school hours for research and project preparation. Before school, computers are to be used only for homework. During lunch, computers can be used for homework and approved games. After school, student use computer access for do their homework and playing games. Computers are primary provided to classrooms in college and university level with an internet access as well as to their own national school network.

Education Internet Users in Mexico

Source: http://www1.lanic.utexas.edu/project/etext/mexico/thomasson/thomasson.pdf

Before 1995, education drove growth. This segment had the largest number of users until 1995. Internet availability and use at this time was centered in Mexico’s university system. Mexico’s universities developed extensive regional networks. Universities were highly instrumental in the development of Mexico’s first national backbone, which connected their regional networks. ‘Although academia was one of the drivers of the development of the Internet in Mexico and Internet use is well-entrenched in Mexico’s university system, the GDI criterion for academia also includes Internet usage in secondary education. The use of the Internet is not nearly as extensive in secondary schools as it is in universities in Mexico.’ ^3.3

        There are telecommunications and digital divides in Mexico. Large segments of the populace have little or no access to both computers and the Internet. Many schools and universities have inadequate information technology resources. In 2001, Mexico joined a consortium of American universities to link to Internet–2, a set of advanced networking technologies that enable distant collaboration on complex projects. Internet–2 technologies are also being used to link far–flung educational institutions through video conferencing. There are 61 member institutions in Mexico’s Internet–2 consortium including universities, some governmental and medical institutions, and five information technology companies Internet–2 also enables Mexican institutions to access supercomputers and other advanced resources in the United States and other countries.

Distance learning in Mexico is an emerging sector in the Mexican market and can offer good growth opportunities to U.S. universities, educational institutions, training providers and other content developers. With over 20 million Internet users in Mexico, e-learning has become a good option to provide lower cost or remote programs in the education and training sectors. Education has been a top priority for the Mexican government in the last 6 years. The government has invested not only in infrastructure, but also in creating more resources to train more people in order to compete in the global market.

U.S. institutions and e-learning training companies have a good potential in Mexico by partnering with Mexican higher education institutions and training companies to offer and develop e-learning programs.

Computer technology and telecommunications could become the cornerstone to distance education in Mexico, as well as all parts of the world.   Telecommunications infrastructure allows potential students to communicate via several modes:  tele-conference, Internet, fax, and many others.  Currently, Mexico has 12 telephone sets for every 100 inhabitants and a modern digital telecommunications infrastructure that includes 1,000 miles of optical fiber and numerous international links.  Mexico also has satellites with continental coverage and a computer system that includes 4.2 million installed computers, 600,000 of which have Internet access. Although the number of Internet users in Mexico is growing, it is limited by the number of personal computers, according to Ortiz.  ‘It is estimated by 2002 that educational institutions will have more than one million Internet access accounts in Mexico. Almost all primary and secondary subjects are taught via advanced technology; as well as online textbooks and reference materials through ILCE.’ ^3.4

Teachers in high education level like college or university deliver their courses materials through the Internet. Students in can sign up for courses not offered by their home school. Many teachers set up web pages where supplemental material or links to information for their courses.

Developing the Information and Communication Technologies Workforce: (Stage 3)

	Mexico offers a wide range of schooling and training in Information and Communication Technologies.  The training is available in both distance learning and in class. Mexico has many opportunities for continuing education and training in ICT for its existing workforce. People in Mexico have access to specialized ICT training that can be pursued at either the university or college level.