ABSTRACT

Mexico is a very centralized country. Some authors have explained this phenomenon by comparing the case of Mexico with the United States. Mexico was first a State, then a Nation. Decentralization of education is more successful when it takes place within a context of decentralization of the life of the country than when it is an isolated adventure in decentralization. The case of France is an example of educational decentralization that occurs within a context of decentralization of basic and social services administered by the State. The Agreement signed in 1992 led to reforming Article III of the Constitution and to the approval of a new General Law of Education, which clearly stipulates the attributions of the federal and state governments. Decentralization has opened up the possibility of very important innovations in the states that have the adequate human resources and the interest in developing their own educational systems.