ABSTRACT
The present discussion starts with the fact that educational policy is made by political actors who are profoundly different, representing the differences among towns and regions in the same nation, especially where there exists enormous social and regional inequality and differentiated structures of political power; education thus feels the impact of varied political and administrative mechanisms. During the 1990s, education is considered basic for the recovery of economic growth, re-entry into international competitiveness, and recuperation of citizenship rights that had been lost by large masses of the population. It is this field in which the answers to questions about the role of the state in education are most important. In this chapter we undertake a policy analysis of the role of the state in education, discussing the depth and nature of the socio-educational question, and indicating the recommendations found in national and international debates.
