Mexico Education Quality

The proposed project aims to improve public school management through strengthen ing and expanding the Government's Quality Schools Program (Programa Escuelas de Calidad, PEC) now being implemented on a pilot scale by SEP. PEC is designed to empower the school community, and promote school autonomy and accountability, e ncouraging parents, teachers and directors to design and carryout school improve ment plans that respond to the needs of the school and its students. The PEC awa rds a grant to finance the improvement plans in selected schools; these grants a re jointly financed by SEP and state governments. The program is open to all pub lic basic education schools that apply on a voluntarily basis, but priority is g iven to disadvantaged schools located in poor urban areas, as these schools have the most need and also tend to benefit more from the program. The federal inves tment in the program leverages approximately half as much in state contributions and in donations from local school communities, where schools mobilize parents, municipal governments and private organizations to support their school improve ment plans.