Observations and Perspectives on Basic Education Modalities in Latin America in the Pandemic and Post-Pandemic Era

Case Study: Aprende en Casa of Mexico

Abstract

The Covid-19 health crisis has led to a shift in the educational model in many countries to the remote mode, including Latin American countries. This article aims to analyse the modality of basic education in Latin America based on a case study of the distance education programme in Mexico: Learning at Home. In this article, the objective is to explore the transition from face-to-face education to virtual mode, as well as its implications for pedagogical and public proposals in the post-pandemic era.

The findings suggest that the Mexican basic education system has undergone three stages of transformation in the face of the pandemic. However, we also note that there are several shortcomings in the Learning at Home project, mainly linked to the lack of guarantee of educational equity and efficiency. We conclude that in order to address the challenges in basic education not only in Mexico, but also in the Latin American region as a whole, a new vision towards a comprehensive approach is needed, taking into account the diversity of socio-economic conditions.