The Value of Schooling for Elite High School Students in Mexico City

This paper examines the value of schooling for students of elite high schools in Mexico City. The study begins by documenting the fact that these students’ academic performance is poor in comparison to students of similar socio-economic status in other countries, and on the basis of their results in...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Espíndola Mata, Juan, Heredia, Blanca, Vazquez, Marisol
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:México
Institución:UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE BAJA CALIFORNIA
Repositorio:Revista Electrónica de Investigacion Educativa
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.redie.uabc.mx:article/1833
Acceso en línea:https://redie.uabc.mx/redie/article/view/1833
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Private schools
private education
schooling
social class.
Enseñanza privada
escuelas privadas
escolarización
clase social.
Descripción
Sumario:This paper examines the value of schooling for students of elite high schools in Mexico City. The study begins by documenting the fact that these students’ academic performance is poor in comparison to students of similar socio-economic status in other countries, and on the basis of their results in standardized national tests. Clearly, such unsatisfactory academic performance by these students, who attend private institutions with a wealth of resources, cannot be attributed to financial hardship and a resulting lack of educational opportunities. This work explores the hypothesis that, for young students from this social circle – who enjoy vast inherited wealth – educational merit and talent do not play a key role in their conception of life or professional development. To support this hypothesis, this study explores the value placed on schooling both by parents and the directors of elite private schools.