Politics in education quality policies in Central America

Abstract

This paper analyses the adoption of education policies in Central America and Panama during the 2010 decade in three areas: the increase in education expenditure, curricular reforms and teacher recruitment and evaluation rules. The paper argues that greater foreign direct investment and more international trade are associated with the adoption of these policies. This, in turn, relates to the incentives produced by varieties of capitalism within the region. It is hypothesised that conservative governments under systems with stronger executive powers, have a preference for policy reform in teacher recruitment and evaluation. Historical factors contribute to explain policy change in Costa Rica and the statu quo in Guatemala.

Keywords

• centroamérica
• políticas educativas
• estrategias de desarrollo
• variedades de capitalismo
• cambio institucional