In December, 2013, the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) announced that it would permanently suspend the ENLACE (National Evaluation of Academic Achievements in School Centers) assessment. The alleged reason to justify such measure was that, as part of the education reform, the test should be applied by the National Institute for Education Assessment (INEE), and that the latter still does not have the conditions to fully implement it.
There are several aspects worth checking out regarding the cancellation of ENLACE. The traditional lack of continuity in public policies between Presidential administrations – especially now, when a change of party occurred – as well as the low commitment of the current federal government with assessment and accountability tools certainly stand out. However, it is worrying to find out how the education issue, which is an allegedly key component in the public strategy of “moving Mexico forward”, is not a priority at all. The INEE legislation, which provides the power to evaluate the education system –and, consequently, teachers and students– was approved since September of 2013. The aforementioned legislation also orders the design of a national policy of education assessment, whose responsibility is in charge of the Executive Power, that is to say, SEP. Almost five months have passed since it was issued and the education reform hasn’t been fully implemented.
The elimination of ENLACE does not mean a failure of the education reform. However, the apparition of ghosts that warn over flamboyant approval of legislation that end up being little to no changes at all seems inevitable. The reasons for this tend to vary a lot, from negligence, lack of follow-up (which is made by the general population, although it does not necessarily gather support from the authorities) and, very importantly, the resistance for change. In the case of the education issue, this last element has been essential. Although the National Teachers’ Union (SNTE) ended up agreeing with the reform (after the apprehension of its leader, Elba Esther Gordillo), the so-called rebel teachers, gathered as the National Coordination (CNTE) remain as an opposition (as well as negotiation) flagship. Over the past year, CNTE delayed and even managed to modify some of the proposed legislation. Nowadays, the stall of the reform’s implementation might be facing the same obstacle but the government has not been able to deal with it.
The resources that have already been allocated for the implementation of ENLACE in 2014 remain pending issues. Likewise, there has been a lack of a clear and convincing reaction from both SEP as well as INEE regarding the causes of the test suspension and any proposals made to renew or substitute it. On several times, the methodological aspects of the test have been questioned, its operational faults have been exhibited and the quality of preparation that students receive has been challenged. There are many elements that justify modifying or replacing the exam in an effort to improve it but nothing explains the fact that the only periodical assessment tool for the performance of Mexican education has been fully eradicated. Without ENLACE, there is no other tool available for knowing the progress made on education and without a proper substitute, the possibility of having a monitoring instrument remains an utopia. This concern has been expressed in recent days by business chambers, civic organizations as well as parents. Although it is early to know the effects of this social pressure, the clock is ticking and the utopian ideals promised by the reform, which already require lots of years to fully implement, remains conspicuous by its absence. Will the same story repeat with the rest of the “structural reforms”?
CIDAC
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