# Homeschooling in Mexico: Legal? Reporting Requirements?



## anothergringa

Hi. We´ve lived in Mexico for a while, but now have children in the mix and the school years are looming. Children are dual national (Mexican born, American citizenship granted through parentage). Just wondering if anyone has recent experience with homeschooling and its legalities in Mexico. The last post I find is from 2009. Or any suggestions on where to get the "right" answer (ha, in Mexico, seems like that is the chalenge), will be appreciated. 

Thanks!

:ranger:


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## Guategringo

anothergringa said:


> Hi. We´ve lived in Mexico for a while, but now have children in the mix and the school years are looming. Children are dual national (Mexican born, American citizenship granted through parentage). Just wondering if anyone has recent experience with homeschooling and its legalities in Mexico. The last post I find is from 2009. Or any suggestions on where to get the "right" answer (ha, in Mexico, seems like that is the chalenge), will be appreciated.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> :ranger:


Try this page Homeschooling México - Comunidad de educadores en el hogar three of my friends that I had in Guatemala were from Mexico and there kids were taking school from this site since they planned to return back to Mexico at some point.


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## Mrs.Z

anothergringa said:


> Hi. We´ve lived in Mexico for a while, but now have children in the mix and the school years are looming. Children are dual national (Mexican born, American citizenship granted through parentage). Just wondering if anyone has recent experience with homeschooling and its legalities in Mexico. The last post I find is from 2009. Or any suggestions on where to get the "right" answer (ha, in Mexico, seems like that is the chalenge), will be appreciated.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> :ranger:


Hi! I was wondering if you've found any info on homeschooling in Mexico? I'm currently living in Mexico with my 2 children and I'm trying to look into homeschooling them!


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## Lorij

I would like to follow this thread, because this is something that I am considering as well when our kid gets to school age. I have not been able to find much on the subject, but I did talk with the State of Alabama that told me it is legal for someone that is still considered a resident of the state of AL to homeschool children even if they are in another country through their program.


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## Amy9877

*homeschool*

We have two little ones who will be school-age when we move to MX. We have tossed around the idea of sending them to the public school and supplementing at home. I have homeschooled my older kids here in the USA so, I have a bit of experience there. I guess weather we send them to public depends on how long their school day would be. It's a small village and I think the school is in 2 shifts. From my research, homeschool is not illegal in MX and I would think that if you are discreet, it would be a non-issue (more room for the other kids).


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## sparks

Mexico does not care if kids go to school .... so I don't know why there would be an issue with home school


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## AlanMexicali

sparks said:


> Mexico does not care if kids go to school .... so I don't know why there would be an issue with home school


In the city of San Luis Potosi it is required to have children attend public or private school until the age of ?. 

The school system here has truant officers talking to children who are walking around during school hours but as someone mentioned some schools have 2 shifts so that has some children are out and about during school hours part of the day.

All students have ID cards they renew every year here and "should" carry them when not at or near home, I suspect.

It is mandatory children attend school in Mexico. It also is regionally enforced or ignored I would imagine. I have seen TV specials on exactly this law.

One of my sister in law´s husband is the head school inspector here.

They have state and federal schools here and so does TJ and Mexicali.


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## sparks

Can't go to school without a birth certificate and no offer of help from anyone in the system or government

Kids quit when they want .... before finishing Secondaria

Indigenous kids only go if they want to


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## AlanMexicali

sparks said:


> Can't go to school without a birth certificate and no offer of help from anyone in the system or government
> 
> Kids quit when they want .... before finishing Secondaria
> 
> Indigenous kids only go if they want to


UNICEF International states it is mandatory in Mexico from 6 to 11 years old. In otherwords "Primaria."


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## Amy9877

Wondering if it makes a difference if your kids carry both nationalities.


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## sparks

UNICEF International is just that .... nothing to do with Mexico National, Regional or where I live

UNICEF sells Xmas stamps and that's about it !!!!!!!!!!!


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## Amy9877

My husband agrees with you, Sparks. He said you can enroll kids in the school without any official documentation but you just would not be issued a Mexican diploma and on the flip side, he said there are plenty of people who just don't send their kids at all or just long enough to learn basic reading skills. We just discussed this yesterday and decided we will probably not put them in the public system after all. Only because we don't want to have issues later on if we decide the Mexican schools are just too bad to bother with.


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## TooColdTooOften

Amy9877 said:


> My husband agrees with you, Sparks. He said you can enroll kids in the school without any official documentation but you just would not be issued a Mexican diploma and on the flip side, he said there are plenty of people who just don't send their kids at all or just long enough to learn basic reading skills. We just discussed this yesterday and decided we will probably not put them in the public system after all. Only because we don't want to have issues later on if we decide the Mexican schools are just too bad to bother with.


I would like (hope) to send my 7-year-old to public school. It is encouraging to know that documentation isn't an issue, but I wanted to make sure I understood this correctly: if the child is in the country on visitor status instead of temporary/perm residency, this will not prevent me from enrolling him in public schools?


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## Amy9877

That is what my husband has said. But I will not guarantee this to be so everywhere. What's the worst that could happen? They would just turn you away and you could just homeschool if you had to which is pretty easy for the early grades. You should know, that if you were planning on sending them to school in the states at any point in the future, the education they receive in MX is, from my understanding, not comparable to here in the states. So, if I were you, I would supplement with something like Spectrum workbooks in the required subjects here in the US so as not to get behind the other kids.


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## AlanMexicali

TooColdTooOften said:


> I would like (hope) to send my 7-year-old to public school. It is encouraging to know that documentation isn't an issue, but I wanted to make sure I understood this correctly: if the child is in the country on visitor status instead of temporary/perm residency, this will not prevent me from enrolling him in public schools?


Actually as I understand it you will not be allowed to enroll him in a public school in most places without an "arrangement". You need a residence INM visa for him. 10 to 15 years ago or more not as hard to achieve. Most if not all áreas need the child to have a birth certificate from within any Mexican state.


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## Isla Verde

Amy9877 said:


> My husband agrees with you, Sparks. He said you can enroll kids in the school without any official documentation but you just would not be issued a Mexican diploma and on the flip side, he said there are plenty of people who just don't send their kids at all or just long enough to learn basic reading skills.


Not meaning to start an argument, but where does your husband get this information from? Just because he's Mexican doesn't make him an automatic expert on the workings of the Mexican education system.


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## AlanMexicali

Isla Verde said:


> Not meaning to start an argument, but where does your husband get this information from? Just because he's Mexican doesn't make him an automatic expert on the workings of the Mexican education system.


Sparks mentioned a Mexican birth certificate is needed not "no documentation" and that seems to be the norm. I guess there are some small towns and villages where the rules are not followed and giving a fee to attend on top of the bisemester fee and paying for supplies might work. Who knows what some places do?


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## Amy9877

You are right, Isla Verde. He is not an expert just b/c he's from Mexico. I am only repeating what he has said he knows has been done in his village. Of course, things may have changed since he was there last. And as I told 'TooColdTooOften' I make no guarantees. Sorry for the pinched toes.


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## Isla Verde

Amy9877 said:


> You are right, Isla Verde. He is not an expert just b/c he's from Mexico. I am only repeating what he has said he knows has been done in his village. Of course, things may have changed since he was there last. And as I told 'TooColdTooOften' I make no guarantees. Sorry for the pinched toes.


No pinched toes here . As Alan mentions, what is an accepted practice in small towns and village may not be the norm all over the country. I just didn't want other posters to think that this was the standard practice in Mexico as a whole. Also, things will be different for your children, who are Mexican citizens, than for others here on FMMs.


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## Amy9877

You are absolutely right Isla. I don't want to give the wrong impression that Mexico is a lawless, anything goes kind of place. I would assume ( not to be an ass) that the larger cities take these legalities more seriously. Just as one officer might take bribes does not mean they all would.


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## AlanMexicali

Isla Verde said:


> No pinched toes here . As Alan mentions, what is an accepted practice in small towns and village may not be the norm all over the country. I just didn't want other posters to think that this was the standard practice in Mexico as a whole. Also, things will be different for your children, who are Mexican citizens, than for others here on FMMs.


If they pay a "fee" to supply sweet bread and coffee for the teachers and director for the year  maybe it can happen.


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## Amy9877

Could I ask, TooColdTooOften, is there a reason you would want to send your child to the public school as opposed to a private or maybe even just homeschool altogether?


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## TooColdTooOften

Amy9877 said:


> Could I ask, TooColdTooOften, is there a reason you would want to send your child to the public school as opposed to a private or maybe even just homeschool altogether?


I haven't done enough research on this yet, so there have been absolutely no decisions made, but my off-the-cuff answer would be twofold: first, expense of private schools, and secondly immersion in culture. Either way, this is a kid who loves to learn, and I supplement his U.S. education at home, so will certainly do that in Mexico as well. This, (with the financial requirements for residency) is one of the most challenging aspects that I will face. 

With respect to exclusively homeschooling him, I've always been leary due to the social aspects that he'll miss out on. I should have phrased that post differently, like, "I'm considering public school." It probably depends on where we end up. Merida is most likely at this point, but that could change.

It is a good question, and I need to weigh it carefully. I think private schools will fall outside of my financial abilities, but haven't even looked yet.


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## TooColdTooOften

What's this about Mexico not being a "lawless, anything goes kind of place"?? Every time I've been pulled over down there, it sure feels that way.


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## maesonna

I’ve mentioned this here before, but there are some new members in this thread who haven‘t heard my story. My kids were in K, 3 and 5 when we came to Mexico. They are dual nationals (Mexican–Canadian). The youngest one did K in public school, while the older two were enrolled in a small private school. The tuition for their fulltime education at the private school was about the same as what I had been paying for them to take weekly piano lessons back in Canada. 

When the youngest one started Gr. 1, we put her into the same school as her older sibs. When each of them in turn left elementary school, we switched them to a public school, so they did _secundaria_ (7–9) in a public school. After that, they did _prepa_ (10–12) in a high school run by the UNAM (University of Mexico) so I guess technically you would call that a public school, too. 

The main factor in our deciding it would be all right to stay in Mexico was that we saw they were getting a good education. We are fortunate to live in Mexico City where there are places where the public schools are good. From what I’ve heard about other parts of the country, that isn’t the case all over. 

Anyway, I put this out here to show that (1) public school isn’t unthinkable, but it depends where you are; and (2) private school doesn’t necessarily mean expensive; again, it depends what’s available in your location.


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## Mrs.Z

I currently live in Puerto Vallarta. My kids are 2nd grade and pre-k. We've lived here off and on, so a couple years ago my oldest attended public kinder for 6 months here in Mexico. As of now, I have them at home, not in school, since we just arrived not even 2 weeks ago. But when the school year begins I'm planning to put my oldest, who will be in 3rd grade, in a private school. I was originally going to put them both in private, but the more I think about it, I think I am going to put my youngest in public for kinder and when she goes to first grade, send her to the private with her sister. 

I like the idea maesonna did...putting the children in private for primaria, the sending them to public for secundaria! Something I will definitely be considering since we will be in Mexico for quite some time!


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## AlanMexicali

TooColdTooOften said:


> What's this about Mexico not being a "lawless, anything goes kind of place"?? Every time I've been pulled over down there, it sure feels that way.


15 years ago or more it might have been a lot easier to get things done without following rules and regualations however since being computerized and transparency laws in gov´t. offices has grown expodentially it is not anywhere near the same. Most state and federal controllers officials have transparency laws to deal with as do all gov´t. offices.

If you are talking about agricultural zones and small towns or villigaes and their gov´t. and pólice, state pólice, etc. in agricultural states and not industrialized states you might still get some things done outside the rules if you know the right people who do these things STILL.

If you are talking about large cities in industrialized states I doubt a nobody important could do anything at all without following the rules and laws.

In otherwords connected and savy on what you are doing in the place you are doing it, not just by asking and trying to pay anyone randomly: this might get you into a lot of trouble these days and is not recommended by anyone I know and is regarded as foolish.

Rural hick cops shaking down people in foriegn plated cars for mordida is a problem in some áreas but not what it used to be and even some large city cops still do it.

If they try to shake down an important connected Mexican it could cost them their job and pension.


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## TooColdTooOften

maesonna said:


> I’ve mentioned this here before, but there are some new members in this thread who haven‘t heard my story. My kids were in K, 3 and 5 when we came to Mexico. They are dual nationals (Mexican–Canadian). The youngest one did K in public school, while the older two were enrolled in a small private school. The tuition for their fulltime education at the private school was about the same as what I had been paying for them to take weekly piano lessons back in Canada.
> 
> When the youngest one started Gr. 1, we put her into the same school as her older sibs. When each of them in turn left elementary school, we switched them to a public school, so they did _secundaria_ (7–9) in a public school. After that, they did _prepa_ (10–12) in a high school run by the UNAM (University of Mexico) so I guess technically you would call that a public school, too.
> 
> The main factor in our deciding it would be all right to stay in Mexico was that we saw they were getting a good education. We are fortunate to live in Mexico City where there are places where the public schools are good. From what I’ve heard about other parts of the country, that isn’t the case all over.
> 
> Anyway, I put this out here to show that (1) public school isn’t unthinkable, but it depends where you are; and (2) private school doesn’t necessarily mean expensive; again, it depends what’s available in your location.


Did your older kids speak any spanish when you moved? Did the private school conduct lessons in English, Spanish, or both? Have they all adapted to the new culture and language well? It sounds like they have, surely in no small part to excellent support from you.

Thanks in advance


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## TooColdTooOften

AlanMexicali said:


> 15 years ago or more it might have been a lot easier to get things done without following rules and regualations however since being computerized and transparency laws in gov´t. offices has grown expodentially it is not anywhere near the same. Most state and federal controllers officials have transparency laws to deal with as do all gov´t. offices.
> 
> In otherwords connected and savy on what you are doing in the place you are doing it, not just by asking and trying to pay anyone randomly: this might get you into a lot of trouble these days and is not recommended by anyone I know and is regarded as foolish.
> 
> Rural hick cops shaking down people in foriegn plated cars for mordida is a problem in some áreas but not what it used to be and even some large city cops still do it.


I am actually aware of the changes, even though it's been a long time since I've spent time in Mexico. It was more of a failed attempt at humor. 

Thank you though, this reminder could save one a whole lot of discomfort while trying to explain why I thougth it was okay to offer someone a li'l mordida when it was not acceptable.


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## AlanMexicali

TooColdTooOften said:


> I am actually aware of the changes, even though it's been a long time since I've spent time in Mexico. It was more of a failed attempt at humor.
> 
> Thank you though, this reminder could save one a whole lot of discomfort while trying to explain why I thougth it was okay to offer someone a li'l mordida when it was not acceptable.


Everytime I was asked if I wanted to get out of a traffic infraction in the last 7 or 8 years in my California plated car they said: "Would you like to help us out?" Not something more direct. I never said I was willing to help them out first. 

Of the 14 times I have been stopped by municipal pólice they asked 4 times.


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## Lorij

AlanMexicali said:


> UNICEF International states it is mandatory in Mexico from 6 to 11 years old. In otherwords "Primaria."



I personally know plenty of neighborhood kids here that don't go to school that are young school age. Interestingly enough, many of them are Zapotec.


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## GARYJ65

Why would you want to home school your kids?
Reasons I may think of are, poor quality of the schools near you, and that's it, then again, your children get to socialize with other children and you may as well teach them what they are lacking at home.

There is the other option, find a better school. There are plenty, at least from my point of view, I went to school in Mexico all my life and I think it worked, my daughter' s the same thing and she outstands as a student

I hope this comment don't hurt anyone susceptibilities, as sometimes happens


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## GARYJ65

Isla Verde said:


> Not meaning to start an argument, but where does your husband get this information from? Just because he's Mexican doesn't make him an automatic expert on the workings of the Mexican education system.


I agree with you Isla
As far as I know, you have to show birth certificate and some other id papers in order to start school
Maybe someone knows this school in the middle of nowhere that does not require anything, but that would be an exception
Mexican system requires papers

And yes, many, many kids do not attend school or quit it very soon, they don't have good reading skills along with many other skills for that matter.


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## GARYJ65

TooColdTooOften said:


> What's this about Mexico not being a "lawless, anything goes kind of place"?? Every time I've been pulled over down there, it sure feels that way.


Every time? Why do you get pulled over so often?

And if it is a lawless, anything goes place, why do you keep comming?

Really, I'd like to know

I have lived all my life in Mexico, I don't feel it is lawless, otherwise I would leave


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## Isla Verde

Lorij said:


> I personally know plenty of neighborhood kids here that don't go to school that are young school age. Interestingly enough, many of them are Zapotec.


That's unfortunate. Without some formal schooling, how on earth do their parents think they will get on well in life?


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## Amy9877

A common misconception with homeschooling is that the child does not get 'proper socialization'. I have 4 sons 2 near the middle and end of school and 2 ages 2 and 4. I did not send my older kids to public until 3rd or 4 the grade. For me the reason was I wanted my kids to enjoy a full and enriching childhood that a public school could and would not provide. They have never been isolated from other kids so they are very social and not at all awkward. Another misconception is they don't learn anything. That depends on the parent/ teacher. My 4 yr. old is already reading so, that is not an issue with us. Thank you for the encouraging words, Gary about the public schools from your point of view. It's nice to hear and very helpful.


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## GARYJ65

Isla Verde said:


> That's unfortunate. Without some formal schooling, how on earth do their parents think they will get on well in life?


The thing is, and I'm not trying to be funny in any way, those parents do not think


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## TundraGreen

GARYJ65 said:


> The thing is, and I'm not trying to be funny in any way, those parents do not think


Perhaps because they did not get an education, they do not understand the advantages that education can confer on their children.


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## Isla Verde

TundraGreen said:


> Perhaps because they did not get an education, they do not understand the advantages that education can confer on their children.


That's true, and so sadly the cycle of poverty continues in those families. I can think of a couple of middle-class Mexicans I know who were born into poverty but broke out of it with the encouragement of their families to stay in school and go on to university. One became an engineer and the other, an architect.


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## TooColdTooOften

GARYJ65 said:


> Every time? Why do you get pulled over so often?
> 
> And if it is a lawless, anything goes place, why do you keep comming?
> 
> Really, I'd like to know
> 
> I have lived all my life in Mexico, I don't feel it is lawless, otherwise I would leave


As I stated above, it was more of a joke than my belief. Yes, I've been asked indirectly if I wanted to pay a bribe (even when I'd probably broken no traffic laws). And yes, I paid a few pesos. And AlanMexicali, I have never asked if I could bribe my way out of anything, but I'll admit I've thought about it.

The last time I spent the night in Tijuana before heading to Mazatlan I did have an unusual, and rather alarming run in with someone. Whether he was a cop, or a criminal dressed as an officer I don't know. I was too frightened to ask or take notice. 

Why did I get pulled over? Probably the same reason I used to get pulled over too often here in the U.S.: long hair, tattoos? Also, I got this odd feeling (at least for locals) that stop signs can be interpreted as "caution" and lane changes don't really require any signal of prior intent.

Please accept my genuine apologies if I've offended anyone. I'll try to refrain from any humor that might be misinterpreted and offensive.

Again, I know things have changed. I do not believe Mexico is a lawless frontier. If I was that adventurous I'd go to the Khyber Pass and hang out with some local Afghans/Pakistanis. (Uh-oh, did I just do it again?)


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## TooColdTooOften

I get the impression most expats with kids send the kids to private schools, at least for part of their education. Is this accurate?


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## GARYJ65

Isla Verde said:


> That's true, and so sadly the cycle of poverty continues in those families. I can think of a couple of middle-class Mexicans I know who were born into poverty but broke out of it with the encouragement of their families to stay in school and go on to university. One became an engineer and the other, an architect.


Good for them!
Unfurtunately, that is "un garbanzo de a libra"


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## GARYJ65

TooColdTooOften said:


> I get the impression most expats with kids send the kids to private schools, at least for part of their education. Is this accurate?


When they can afford it, I have the same idea


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## MexiCath

Hi, 
This is my third year homeschooling my children in San Luis Potosí. I'm Canadian and my husband is Mexican. They're in elementary, and dual-nationality Canadians, so I've registered them as homeschoolers in Canada. We tried both the public and private school systems when they were in kinder. Both systems had their pros and cons, but we decided to try homeschooling to smooth over a mid-year move and to give them a quality bilingual education. Most schools that advertise as "bilingual" in Mexico don't actually teach subjects in English (math, history, science), at least at the elementary level. I haven't run into any truancy officers here. My kids are involved in after-school sports and arts programs. I'd love to find other homeschooling families in SLP; we had a lovely group in Mexico City that organized museum tours, picnics, etc. Feel free to message me if you have any questions.


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## MexiCath

TooColdTooOften said:


> I get the impression most expats with kids send the kids to private schools, at least for part of their education. Is this accurate?


Most of the expats that I know do. There is a WORLD of difference between the public and private schools. It all comes down to resources. My twin daughters' public school kindergarten classroom was bare. All they had to work with were broken crayons and blank paper. Very few books, no manipulatives at all, unless they were sent from home. The schools also issue a grocery list of school supplies that must be brought in: garbage bags, paper towels, toilet paper, antibacterial hand gel, scissors, pencils, glue, Kleenex boxes, etc. They had a wonderful teacher, but she left halfway through the year and the bureaucracy involved in getting a substitute took four months, so she only showed up two weeks before the school year ended. In the meantime, the kids were divvied up between the other classrooms, meaning that there were at least 35-40 kids in each undersupplied classroom. This was in one of the best school districts in Mexico City (Chimalistac, Coyoacán).
When we switched them to private kinder, they had to repeat the year, because they hadn't learned how to read in Kinder II in the public school. The classrooms were much better supplied, but the private schools, in addition to charging you for tuition, "materiales" (school supplies), books and uniforms, also issues a grocery list, just as long as the public school list, but with specific brand names. The class sizes are much smaller, and the quality depends on how much you're willing to pay. It is a business. I taught in a private kinder before having kids, and I was appalled at how much time and money was wasted. Private kinders are quite academically rigourous, and the children sit examinations every month. If you want to go this route, shop around, but don't expect a level of education that is comparable to the United States or Canada. They also seem to take a lot more paid holidays, including summer vacation, in the private system. Hope this helps.
By the way, we're not against either public or private schools. We just found the public schools to be inefficient and overcrowded, and the private schools to be overpriced, for what they're offering.


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## TooColdTooOften

Wow. Another piece of the puzzle that I should have spent more time looking into. 
Thank you for this information. All of it helpful. I've never thought seriously about educating my son entirely at home—until now. Seems daunting. The above information makes his 1st grade education here seem like a luxury. Maybe I should stop taking my son's school for granted, or worse. Makes me rethink much.
Thanks again, everyone.


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## maesonna

My youngest offspring did public kindergarten (K-III). Our experience was similar to MexiCath’s in that parents had to provide all the supplies, class sizes were large (40 to 45 in our case). Similarly also, there were no substitutes; when a teacher was absent her students were divided among the other classes as Cath relates.

However, we were fortunate in that the teacher was first-class (and stayed for the whole year). She had done her teacher training under the assumption that she would be dealing with large classes and begging supplies from parents, so it was the “normal” situation, and she was prepared to work in those kind of circumstances. 

She told us at a parents‘ meeting why the curriculum didn’t include learning to read and write the way the private kinders do (this, when some of the parents started pressuring her to teach reading). She explained, with examples, how many of the activities which appear to be simply play are actually pre-reading and reading readiness exercises, and to skip essential steps and jump into reading would disadvantage the children (especially those from impoverished households where the parents have little or no literacy to set them an example).

The next year, the neighbourhood private school accepted our child for Grade 1 even though she hadn’t had the early reading lessons at their own Kinder, because we caught up her reading during the summer.

For TooColdTooOften who asked (page 3, post #28) whether my kids’ private school had classes in English, Spanish, or both:

It was all Spanish, except for the so-called English classes. The English teachers were very good-hearted, but not very knowledgeable about English. Their pronunciation was often so poor that my kids at first used to make mistakes in dictation exercises because they couldn’t tell what the teacher was trying to say. They also learned that they had to speak English with a thick accent, otherwise their classmates (and sometimes the English teacher) couldn’t understand them. English classes were a waste of time, which they spent mostly cringing at the back of the classroom and feeling sorry for their classmates.

The reason they are still fluent and literate in English (and have a broad base of knowledge in both languages) is because we are a family of readers. We read for pleasure and knowledge, and that has stayed with them.


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## MexiCath

Okay, now here's what I really liked about the schools in Mexico:
The public school, while not overly concerned about literacy prior to first grade, held a number of parentworkshops for the parents during the year, on age-appropriate toys, nutrition, communication strategies, etc. They taught a lot of concepts through play, such as recycling and taking care of the environment, and being frugal. The kids put on productions and memorized historic speeches and poems. They still teach music and folk dancing. All of the art projects are (of necessity) made from recycled materials brought from home, which is pretty fantastic. My kids became friends with children from all walks of life.
In the private school, the kids start pre-literacy activites at age three (Kinder I), and are reading basic texts in Spanish by the end of Kinder II. They also have a lot of parties and festivals, but you have to pay for the latter (and any costumes). Private schools assign a LOT of homework, even in the early grades. I loved the small class sizes, and it was easier to establish a rapport with the teachers.
Since my children have grown up in Mexico, they learned to read first in Spanish. I did try to teach them first in English, but we hit a wall. They were not really open to speak English, even with me, until they saw their amiguitos attempting to learn English. What English they did learn at school was heavily accented, as has been noted. Their English teacher could not maintain a conversation with me and confessed that she wasn't really an English teacher, but she knew more than the others. I suspect that this situation is quite common. 
When we decided to homeschool, it was after interviewing nine different English teachers in nine different "bilingual" schools. I couldn't justify paying all that tuition for a mediocre ability in English. We chose a literature-based homeschool program. A year's supply of brand new books is still less than one month of mid-range tuition for 3 children. And we drive up to Texas once a year and hit the second-hand stores and library surplus centers to add to our home library. Hmmm. Public libraries...that's another subject!


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## Isla Verde

As a professional teacher, the whole idea of home schooling seems strange to me, especially when the children reach high school age. How on earth can someone who is not trained professionally hope to teach<their children such disparate (and difficult) subjects such as higher-level math and science (chemistry, biology and so on), history and language arts?


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## MexiCath

Isla Verde said:


> As a professional teacher, the whole idea of home schooling seems strange to me, especially when the children reach high school age. How on earth can someone who is not trained professionally hope to teach<their children such disparate (and difficult) subjects such as higher-level math and science (chemistry, biology and so on), history and language arts?


Whether or not one should homeschool is being debated all over the Internet. With very minimal effort, you can find forums full of strongly held opinions for either side, if you're in the mood for an argument. This discussion is about expats who have chosen, or are considering, homeschooling as a viable alternative to public and private schools in Mexico. 

Good teachers provide individualized attention for their students when they need extra help in a specific area, such as remedial reading and special ed. Often, parents hire tutors to help their children in specific content areas. As homeschoolers, we are daily witnesses to the benefits of individualized education, but are hopefully humble enough to know what we don't know, and seek out tutors as the need arises. I can teach my children piano for a few years, but will look for a teacher when their skills outpace mine. My daughter wants to learn Chinese, so I'm looking for a native speaker who can teach her. 

My husband is an archeology professor with a graduate degree in Earth Science (geochemistry and petrology), and one of my degrees was in literature, so I'm not overly concerned with who will teach them higher-level history, math, chemistry or language arts. My focus is teaching them how to learn, that it's okay to say "I don't know", and how to find answers. I hope this puts your mind at rest a little bit.


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## PanamaJack

MexiCath said:


> Whether or not one should homeschool is being debated all over the Internet. With very minimal effort, you can find forums full of strongly held opinions for either side, if you're in the mood for an argument. This discussion is about expats who have chosen, or are considering, homeschooling as a viable alternative to public and private schools in Mexico.
> 
> Good teachers provide individualized attention for their students when they need extra help in a specific area, such as remedial reading and special ed. Often, parents hire tutors to help their children in specific content areas. As homeschoolers, we are daily witnesses to the benefits of individualized education, but are hopefully humble enough to know what we don't know, and seek out tutors as the need arises. I can teach my children piano for a few years, but will look for a teacher when their skills outpace mine. My daughter wants to learn Chinese, so I'm looking for a native speaker who can teach her.
> 
> My husband is an archeology professor with a graduate degree in Earth Science (geochemistry and petrology), and one of my degrees was in literature, so I'm not overly concerned with who will teach them higher-level history, math, chemistry or language arts. My focus is teaching them how to learn, that it's okay to say "I don't know", and how to find answers. I hope this puts your mind at rest a little bit.


Home schooling in my opinion can be successful as long as the parents are willing to put in the extra effort to find help for their children when the subjects become too difficult for them i.e. chemistry, physics, calculus and so on and so forth.
However, I strongly disagree with MexiCath. She may have had a bad experience in public and private school but that was just one private and one public school. I came to Mexico at age 10 the son of a diplomat. My family never left this fine country. I studied in private school through high school in Mexico City with some of the strictest nuns and friars you will find in your life. 
I went on to get my bachelors degree in Boston and a Masters at the University of Georgia. I am not saying this to say how smart I am, what I am saying is I was not top of the class in my Mexican high school or the bottom. My studies were hard, we were challenged and our teachers would not accept that we could not do the work.
My wife also went to private school her entire life as a Mexican by birth. She also has a number of degrees and works with an international company today thanks to her well-rounded studies in both Mexico and Europe. Criticizing private or public schooling with only firsthand knowledge of one, two, three or even 10 schools is not fair in my opinion, or accurate of the overall situation in Mexico. Is it a business, sure its but so are private schools in the U.S. at the elementary, secondary and collegiate level and some charge much more than they are worth.
I also feel that as much as some people might like home schooling I believe not all of schooling public or private takes place in the classroom. There is interaction daily with fellow students and teachers. Socializing, learning to work with team members in study, playing sports and other activities are also, what shape the student. Home schooled children at times do not have that at the same level as students in a private of public schooling setting.


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## maesonna

My biggest doubt about expat parents homeschooling in Mexico is how much it would limit the children’s exposure to Mexican peers (fellow students) and adults (teachers). They would have much less opportunity to learn the give-and-take, the cultural in and outs of how to interact with people. I know that for my kids it was sometimes rough coping with “mean girl” classmates and less-than-fair teachers, (of course they also had some good friends and excellent teachers) but the main point is that they learned from the people around them how to deal with both good and bad relationships in Mexican ways, something I couldn’t have taught them.

I’m aware that in U.S. and Canada, savvy homeschool parents join together to give their children lots of shared group experiences to fill in the socialization aspect of their education, but my concern with homeschooling in Mexico is that you would be challenged to do this here. Partly because it would be less likely to find Mexican homeschoolers to join up with, but also because you don’t know those aspects of the culture here (how to act and interact with people) that are different from your own. Even the ones that you do learn about, often the learning is not internalized (i.e., you know as a fact that you should do X, and should refrain from Y, but it still feels a bit rude because it goes against our upbringing). It is hard to model behaviours to your children that go against your idea of etiquette, and impossible to teach things you don’t know yourself. The result is that they would very likely grow up under a social handicap, unless you were able to find a way to fill in those gaps.


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## TooColdTooOften

maesonna said:


> My biggest doubt about expat parents homeschooling in Mexico is how much it would limit the children’s exposure to Mexican peers (fellow students) and adults (teachers). They would have much less opportunity to learn the give-and-take, the cultural in and outs of how to interact with people. I know that for my kids it was sometimes rough coping with “mean girl” classmates and less-than-fair teachers, (of course they also had some good friends and excellent teachers) but the main point is that they learned from the people around them how to deal with both good and bad relationships in Mexican ways, something I couldn’t have taught them.
> 
> ...
> 
> It is hard to model behaviours to your children that go against your idea of etiquette, and impossible to teach things you don’t know yourself. The result is that they would very likely grow up under a social handicap, unless you were able to find a way to fill in those gaps.


Very well said. This idea is what I alluded to in another post about culture. The other important aspect is language. My spanish is poor, but with a few gestures gets me by. That's not gonna work for a child of 7 or 8 trying to integrate into a very different culture. Maybe this is one reason so many people tend to use public (what we call "grade schools," k-6), and then move to private schools for more advanced education?

You guys could never know how much help you've been in the very short time I've been involved in this forum. The "known unknowns" as well as the "unknown unknowns" are ubiquitous. Thank you all for the excellent food for thought.


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## Isla Verde

MexiCath said:


> My husband is an archeology professor with a graduate degree in Earth Science (geochemistry and petrology), and one of my degrees was in literature, so I'm not overly concerned with who will teach them higher-level history, math, chemistry or language arts. My focus is teaching them how to learn, that it's okay to say "I don't know", and how to find answers. I hope this puts your mind at rest a little bit.


Your children are lucky to have such highly-educated parents, which will make their home schooling that much more effective. But what about children whose parents don't have advanced degrees in areas related to subjects covered by a typical high school curriculum? I have still serious doubts about this whole home-schooling enterprise.


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## MexiCath

maesonna said:


> My biggest doubt about expat parents homeschooling in Mexico is how much it would limit the children’s exposure to Mexican peers (fellow students) and adults (teachers). They would have much less opportunity to learn the give-and-take, the cultural in and outs of how to interact with people. I know that for my kids it was sometimes rough coping with “mean girl” classmates and less-than-fair teachers, (of course they also had some good friends and excellent teachers) but the main point is that they learned from the people around them how to deal with both good and bad relationships in Mexican ways, something I couldn’t have taught them.
> 
> I’m aware that in U.S. and Canada, savvy homeschool parents join together to give their children lots of shared group experiences to fill in the socialization aspect of their education, but my concern with homeschooling in Mexico is that you would be challenged to do this here. Partly because it would be less likely to find Mexican homeschoolers to join up with, but also because you don’t know those aspects of the culture here (how to act and interact with people) that are different from your own. Even the ones that you do learn about, often the learning is not internalized (i.e., you know as a fact that you should do X, and should refrain from Y, but it still feels a bit rude because it goes against our upbringing). It is hard to model behaviours to your children that go against your idea of etiquette, and impossible to teach things you don’t know yourself. The result is that they would very likely grow up under a social handicap, unless you were able to find a way to fill in those gaps.


These are very valid points, Maesonna. Indeed, a local homeschool co-op or support group is on my wish list! To give our kids the opportunity to socialize with other kids and adults in a classroom setting (isn't that what you're all worried about?), they take sports and arts (theater, music, drawing, storytelling) in the afternoons. They also play with the neighbourhood kids after school hours. There are plenty of mean and nice kids at the playground, and they have to learn to deal with all kinds. Although my twins were born in Canada, we moved back here when they were a year old, so all three of my kids are fluent in Spanish, and more Mexican than Canadian, culturally. That's one of the reasons I was so picky about their English instruction, because they speak it as a second language. They needed the academic immersion experience (all of their subjects in English, except for Spanish) to bring them up to the level of their Canadian peers (because I have to report my homeschool grades to Canada). Other parents may have other priorites, and make different choices, based on the needs of their families.
PanamaJack, I agree with your statement that not all education takes place within a classroom. Also, I did not mean to imply that there are no good schools to be found in Mexico. I was happy with the schools that we chose, although the English language instruction was poor. I am glad that you and your wife were happy with your private school education, and I know that there are dedicated and passionate teachers in both public and private Mexican schools. A very high quality education, such as you describe, is certainly available in the private school system. We were unable to find a genuinely bilingual school that we could afford (we're not diplomats), and I am glad that by homeschooling, we are legally able to give our children the English exposure that they needed to become bilingual. Do I think everyone should homeschool? No. It is what works for us, at this time. Will we homeschool until high school? Probably not. As others have mentioned, there are many experiences that are better fulfilled in a traditional school setting. When the time comes, and we can find an affordable private school that can meet our children's needs, we'll enroll them. At the risk of sounding redundant, homeschooling is a legal alternative to public and private schools. It is an alternative, not the only option.


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## maesonna

It sounds like you have the socialization and acculturation thing well handled. It seems that the concerns I expressed will not be a problem for your family.

Something you may find interesting to know is that although my kids had their schooling 100% in Spanish since our arrival in Mexico, and their English classes were abysmal, they tell me that reading in Spanish is still a little more labourious for them than reading in English. Whether they are reading for their studies or their own pleasure, they prefer to do it in English whenever possible. I attribute this to the reading-addiction-indoctrination they got from me in the home.

And on another note, TooCold mentioned “many people tend to use public (what we call "grade schools," k-6), and then move to private schools for more advanced education.” As it happened, we did it the other way around: private up to Gr. 6, and public from then on. (How did that turn out? Quite well. Many of their _prepa_ teachers, for one thing, had a degree in their subject – in many cases, a graduate degree [not that that necessarily made them good teachers, but they certainly knew their subjects] – how often do you get PhDs teaching in a Canadian high school?)


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## Amy9877

I would say Isla that sadly many people homeschool who shouldn't or for the wrong reasons. There is such a broad range of people homeschooling nowadays and a lot of them go on to Universities with no more difficulty than their standard method counterparts. Sadly, some parents do not realize they need more than just the 3 R's. I know a few of those parents and their kids got nothing more than a basic workbook education. I know there are some very pricey homeschool curriculums that offer trig all the way to AP Calculus as well as chemistry. I don't know the quality of these programs personally because my older boys are in public school but I do know some who do and swear by it. My point is, for the discerning parents who for whatever reason need or want to homeschool there are options beyond the generic education. I most likely won't homeschool forever because I do think it's helpful for kids to be challenged and learn to compete mentally.


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## Hollypop1986

I see this was a very hot thread about a month ago, but I just thought I would add, there is a group of homeschoolers called El Hogar Educador. Their website is the same as their name. They have a wealth of information for parents wanting to homeschool in Mexico, legal requirements, legal support, etc. 

If you are considering homeschooling here in Mexico, they would be a fantastic resource to check out.  Hope it helps!


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## AlanMexicali

Hollypop1986 said:


> I see this was a very hot thread about a month ago, but I just thought I would add, there is a group of homeschoolers called El Hogar Educador. Their website is the same as their name. They have a wealth of information for parents wanting to homeschool in Mexico, legal requirements, legal support, etc.
> 
> If you are considering homeschooling here in Mexico, they would be a fantastic resource to check out.  Hope it helps!


"In this video, Brother Joshua Cuevas answers four common questions about home education. An increasingly large number of Christian families in Mexico group have decided to educate their children at home. Even non-Christian families have seen excellent results and have begun to try this option. For some homeschooling is a radical measure, others consider him as a pressing need in the current situation in schools in the world. Measure? Radical or need? Extreme situations always require radical measures. "

For more information: 

Home page Educator: El Hogar Educador



Are they Pentecostal Baptists? Are you sure you want your children indoctrinated by a religious group?


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## Hollypop1986

Im not sure what the denomination is, they are a group of missionaries, however. 

As far as wanting your children dominated by religious indoctrination, I guess you have to choose whether you'd prefer corrupt government indoctrination in the public or private schools instead...

Furthermore, I only mentioned that you could find help with learning the legalities of homeschooling here in Mexico, as well as get legal assistance should you find yourself faced with truancy issues. 

Maybe you didn't look into the website much further than the quote you posted, because there is not an "indoctrinated" curriculum that you HAVE to use in order to gain assistance from this group of homeschooling pioneers. You may find resources to material, but by no means is there an obligation to use their doctrine. 

Homeschool is open to Christians and non-Christians alike, as the quote suggests. I myself am a Christian so I do not mind, and in fact embrace, incorporating Biblical studies into my children's core studies, and that is my prerogative as a parent. 

I don't think the OP was actually looking for opinions on homeschool, but simply asking for whether or not it is possible, and so, I have provided information for anyone interested in homeschooling their children here in Mexico can refer to, and hopefully, will find beneficial.


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