Citizen Monitoring of Educational Spending: Follow-up to Reading and Mathematics Policies in Campeche and Quintana Roo

Abstract

This article reveals the lack of knowledge regarding the educational expenditure that is invested to reduce the learning gap at the sub-state level in Mexico. Specifically, there are no analyses regarding the amount and use of programs designed to improve reading and basic math skills in the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo. The objective: to monitor public spending on those programs, seeking to characterize the quality and transparency of educational spending. Methodology: two cases were selected, Campeche and Quintana Roo; the educational expenditure of items destined to improve the educational quality of the years 2014-2016 was analyzed. Results encountered: articulation problems were found between the actions and programs; opacity over allocation of resources and over improvement actions; and limited strategies to reduce the learning gap. Finally, the need to generate emerging programs able to address the lag of learning and to improve transparency of educational spending in education is discussed.