ABSTRACT
A tidal wave of conservative thought swept over Latin America in the 1980s. Originating in the metropolitan centers of North America and Europe, the wave extended all over the world. Its impact changed the familiar landscape of the state’s relations to civil society. According to Martin McLean, “The era of state concentration, centralization, and equalization was replaced by one of state withdrawal. Privatization, localization, and consumer choice became the slogans of the new age.” Concerns associated with equity include the need to improve access and retention rates of school-age children and youths, particularly from the most disadvantaged sectors of society. Essentially, neoliberal education policies favor investing in the first four years of schooling as against investing in secondary and higher education, which, according to cost-benefit analyses, register a lower social rate of return. The policies advocate charging user fees at the secondary and especially tertiary levels of education.
