Did you know that there are actually three levels of preschool/kindergarten in Mexico? The first two levels serve children ages 3 and 4, and the third level serves children ages five and six. Up until quite recently this schooling was not required by the Mexican government, but a new law went into effect at the start of the 04-05 school year and mandated that all children attend the third level. Then, at the beginning of the 05-06 school year, the second level became mandatory and, finally, beginning this school year (08-09), the first level is now mandatory. In summary, it is now Mexican law that all children attend preschool and kindergarten. Of course, while this may be the law, that is not to say that all children have the opportunity to actually attend.
It is often a very challenging task for school administrators to accommodate newly-arrived students from Mexico. There is often confusion as to which grade level they should be placed in. Report cards and transcripts are difficult to decipher, as the Mexican Education System is different than the U.S. What about the grading system? Why is it not unusual for a 13-year old to advise you he just completed the 2nd grade? All of these issues are addressed in our latest publication, The Principal Steps, A Step-by-Step Guide to Spanish for School Administrators. This important resource not only addresses all of these issues, it also assists you in building sentences for written correspondence, and has dozens of already translated comments for you to just copy and send home. What a terrific resource for the beginning, middle and end of the school year!
