ABSTRACT
A brief description of Mexico’s educational system is needed before discussing school psychology in Mexico. Both public and private schools operate at the preschool and kindergarten levels; attendance is optional. Education is mandatory from first through sixth grades, whereas junior high and high school education is optional. The availability of public schools varies throughout Mexico, with urban areas having more resources than rural areas. In some isolated areas of the country, attending school is difficult because of transportation problems, including poor quality of roads and long distances. Much progress has been made during the 1980s, however, to improve the availability of schools. The country’s educational resources generally are meager and become more scarce as children advance through higher grades in the public educational system. Because of rampant population growth, children in urban areas typically attend schools in crowded classrooms for 4½ to 5 hours daily either in the mornings or in the afternoons. Evening classes are often reserved for adult education. Although the quality of public education varies between regions, the federal government provides a uniform national curriculum and free textbooks to all pupils.
