Abstract

PERALES MEJIA, Felipe de Jesús  and  ESCOBEDO CARRILLO, María Máyela. Social Engagement in Education: between Innovative Proposals and Educational Tradition. REDIE [online]. 2016, vol.18, n.1, pp.69-81. ISSN 1607-4041.

Since 1992, the Mexican government has been making a renewed effort to improve civic involvement in public schools. Through different regulations, it has sought to enhance organizational skills and a sense of co-responsibility in parents, alumni, and other social agents. It has proposed measures aimed at involving the community, such as creating School Councils for Social Engagement. The aim of these Councils is to promote a constructive and co-responsible dialog concerning the administration and organization of schools, by involving different members of the community in educational affairs. This article presents the outcome of a case study from the qualitative and ethnographic perspective of how parents, directors, and teachers get involved in the creation and running of School Councils in a primary school. The results are very similar to those of other studies exploring parents' associations' difficulties with the innovative figure of the School Councils.

Keywords : Social participation; school operation; school council; parents association.