Education reforms in Mexico: what challenges lie ahead?

During his presidency in Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has so far implemented various strategies in the education sector, with a primary focus on improving access, quality, and equity in the national education system. While his administration has made significant efforts to address socio-economic disparities and enhance domestic education, the focus on internationalisation has so far been relatively limited compared to other areas of the government’s focus. AMLO's government has not to date actively promoted a comprehensive agenda for internationalisation in Mexico's education system – however, one notable development during AMLO's presidency was the transformation of the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT), earlier this year.

CONACyT was responsible for coordinating and promoting international scientific and technological cooperation and funding postgraduate study for Mexican students abroad. It has been replaced by the National Council for Science and Technology and Higher Education (CONAHCyT), which has a more limited mandate. CONAHCyT's mandate is focused on the humanities, sciences, and technologies, while CONACyT had a broader mandate that included engineering, agriculture, and medicine. CONAHCYT also has a smaller budget. These changes were a result of the government believing that CONACyT was too bureaucratic and inefficient, and that its mandate was too broad. The government hopes that CONAHCyT will be more focused and effective under its new name and mandate. The transformation of CONACyT has been perceived as a setback for international education in Mexico, as it played a crucial role in attracting foreign researchers and funding international exchange programmes.

The transformation of CONACyT further raises concerns about the promotion of international scientific and technological cooperation in Mexico. It is unclear how Mexico will continue to foster such collaboration with foreign entities without the dedicated institution responsible for coordinating these efforts. Additionally, the decrease in funding for science and technology research, resulting from CONACyT's transformation. The Mexican government's budget for science and technology research decreased by $900 million in 2023, as a result of the transformation of CONACyT into CONAHCYT. In 2022, CONACyT had a budget of $2.6 billion, while CONAHCYT's budget is $1.7 billion. This 34% decrease could negatively impact the quality of education in these fields and also hinder Mexico's ability to compete globally.

Despite these challenges, there are some positive aspects to this transformation that should be highlighted. The new inclusion of humanities within the scope of CONAHCyT has the potential to improve the quality of education in Mexico by promoting interdisciplinary research and teaching. It can provide valuable insights into the social, cultural, and historical context of scientific and technological research, making it more relevant to the country's needs. Moreover, the inclusion of humanities may attract more students to study science and technology, as they see the fields as open to interdisciplinary research. This, in turn, could contribute to innovation in Mexico by generating new ideas for products, services, and technologies. However, the inclusion of humanities into CONAHCyT also poses challenges. Humanities are not always perceived as being as important as science and technology, which may result in a lack of funding and difficulty in attracting top talent to the field. Addressing these challenges is crucial to ensuring that humanities receive the same level of attention and support as other disciplines.

The transformation of CONACyT is just one part of a larger reform of the Mexican education system. AMLO has also:

• repealed the 2013 education reform. This reform introduced teacher evaluations and other measures aimed at improving the quality of education. The 2013 education reform was a major overhaul of Mexico's educational system. It introduced teacher evaluations, increased funding for teacher training, and created a new national curriculum. AMLO has argued that the reform from a decade ago was ineffective, and that it was unfair to teachers. He has also argued that it did not meet the needs of the teaching profession.
• promised to create hundreds of new state-funded "popular" universities. AMLO promised to create hundreds of new state-funded "popular" universities. These universities are intended to provide affordable higher education to people from low-income backgrounds. However, they have been criticised for understaffing, funding, and lack of academic standards. Critics argue that these universities will not be able to provide students with the skills that they need to succeed in the workforce.
• cut funding for higher education institutions. This has led to redundancies among staff and reductions in the number of courses offered to students. The budget for education in Mexico has been reduced by $12 billion since President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) took office in 2018. This represents a decrease of 10%. Over 100,000 education workers have been dismissed since AMLO took office. This includes teachers, professors, and administrative staff. The budget for basic education (preschool, primary, and secondary school) has been reduced by $7 billion. The budget for higher education has been reduced by $5 billion. The budget for teacher training has been reduced by $1 billion. The budget for education infrastructure has been reduced by $1 billion.
• reduced the number of standardised tests required for students to graduate from secondary school. This has been criticised by some who argue that it will make it more difficult for students to be prepared for university and the workforce. Critics also argue that these cuts will make it more difficult for students to receive a quality education.

AMLO's educational policies have been controversial. Some people support his efforts to make education more accessible and affordable, while others criticise his cuts to funding and his repeal of the 2013 education reform. The success or failure of these reforms will ultimately determine what the impact of the transformation of CONACyT will have on science and technology education in Mexico.

AMLO's administration has also made limited efforts to make Mexico more attractive for foreign students, for example by not simplifying the visa application process. There have been major individual efforts carried out by higher education institutions in Mexico to foster greater internationalisation of their academic programmes. Some specific examples of internationalisation efforts are:

1. Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) Global Network: Tecnológico de Monterrey, one of Mexico's leading universities, has established a global network of partnerships with over 300 prestigious institutions worldwide. Through this network, ITESM promotes student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, and international academic programmes
2. National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Study Abroad Programme:  UNAM, one of the largest universities in Latin America, offers a comprehensive study abroad programme that allows its students to study at partner universities across the globe. The programme covers various disciplines and encourages students to gain international experience.
3. ITESM's International Dual-Degree Programmes: This institution has several dual-degree programmes with international universities. For instance, it offers a dual-degree programme with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Essex, among others in which students earn degrees from both institutions upon completion.
4. University of Guadalajara's Global Campus: it has established a Global Campus that offers online degree programmes and MOOCs in various languages, allowing learners from around the world to access high-quality education from Mexico.

These examples showcase how Mexican institutions have taken various approaches to internationalise their campuses, foster collaboration with global partners, and promote cross-cultural learning opportunities for students and faculty alike. This has led to an increase in the number of foreign students enrolled in Mexican universities in recent years, with approximately 45,000 foreign students enrolled in higher education institutions in Mexico in 2019-2020. This represents an increase of 10% from the previous year. The trends in the number of foreign students studying in Mexico in the last 3 years have been positive. The number of foreign students has increased by 20% since 2017. This growth is being driven by a number of factors, including: The increasing quality of Mexican universities; the growing reputation of Mexico as a tourist destination: the relatively low cost of living in Mexico: the availability of scholarships and financial aid for foreign students

Looking ahead, Mexico's upcoming presidential elections in 2024 pose several challenges for education. Increased political polarisation may make it difficult to reach consensus on education reforms, while the diversion of attention and resources to the elections could slow down progress in this area. Additionally, the elections may lead to increased number of disruptions to education, including industrial action by teachers.