ラテンアメリカにおける学校全日制化(full-time school) への取り組み

The aim of the paper is to discuss the policies on expanding the school day and assess the educational and social effects of the full-time school program referring a Latin American case. In this area, in a similar way as other developing countries, double-shift schooling has been widely adopted. It is a measure to increase the supply of school places while avoiding serious strain on the budget. Schools cater for two entirely separate groups of pupils during a school day. Each group uses same buildings, equipment, and other facilities. However, multiple-shift schooling may also create problems. The school day is often shortened and compressed. The time for classroom teaching and some extra-curricular activities is sometimes reduced. Students and teachers always seem to be in hurry.
Some Latin American countries are embracing policies for extending the school day. Chile was the forerunner in this policy and nearly completed the transition from partial school days to full-time school system. In Mexico, the Full-time Schools Program (Programa Escuelas de Tiempo Completo, PETC) was created in 2007, with the aim of improving the learning opportunities of basic education students by extending the school day from 4.5 to 6 or 8 hours a day including the service of alimentation. It aimed to offer an innovative and flexible pedagogical proposal that strengthens the curricular learning and develops the competences required for a holistic education. The target of the program was focused on the schools serving socially vulnerable students in marginal-urban contexts, or from the localities of indigenous area with low academic achievement.
In 2012, the Mexican Congress passed a bill that raised the program to a national status. An increasing number of full-time schools was established. The federal budget assigned to the Program has enabled the econditioning and equipment of schools with; media room, roofed patio, laboratories, computers, classroom and school libraries, kitchen, dining hall and toilets. The budget also covers the training and monetary aids for principals, teachers, and support staff members, didactic material; meal’s services and supplies. It was a rather expensive
program.
According to various evaluation studies on the effect of the full-time schools, full-time school has demonstrated a modest positive effect in the improvement of academic performance of the student and contributed to reduce the retention. It is also reported that the longer school days policies have the potential not only to improve children’s welfare and school outcomes, but also to increase mothers’ labor force participation and the available income at home.
Under the influence of the pandemic COVID-19, during about two years, educational institutions were closed down and instructional activities in the basic education have been implemented through a distance education based on educational television. The full-times school program also suspended the function. In February 2022, Minister of Education announced formally the abolition of the full-time school program for the reason that the priority of this policy is not so high, it would convert the funds into a new program that put emphasis on the recovery of school infrastructures of all public school. A fierce controversy has raged over the continuation of the full-time schools.