Secondary Education, Social Structure and Development in Latin America.

Overview & Synopsis

This work is an attempt to analyze the development of education, particularly secondary education, in order to identify the special features of educational structure in Latin America. The educational systems are examined within the following contexts: Literacy Training; Educational Levels (which considers the question of access to formal education); Comparison with European Societies in the Past; Comparison with Present-day European Societies; Performance of Educational Systems; Education, Urbanization, and Income; and Education and Social Structure. The concepts, changes and expansion of secondary education are discussed. The conclusions suggest that education should not be prolonged above the requirements of the economic system of a country, that funds needed to insure primary education for the whole population should not be expended on unneeded secondary education, that upward social mobility is unbalanced when secondary education is provided to more individuals than can be absorbed by the economy. The capacity of political systems to absorb citizens demanding participation is considered: the expansion of education could contribute to social change and economic development which would alter the character of a political system. (JMB)