Middle Education

Definition, Nature and Characterization

 Definition: Secondary education is one of the pillars of formal education along
with its predecessors: early childhood and primary education, and what follows,
university or higher education.

Because it is, as we said, the immediate level of studies at the university level,
secondary school, also known as Middle School, has as its objective the preparation
of students so that they can access university without problems, which is ultimately
the instance that prepares and develops the professional activity that each one
chooses.

 Nature: At the middle level, the apprehension of the essential characteristics of

natural and social reality begins and gradually develops. This enables knowledge ,
understanding and possible actions on it.

In this process, students also build values and attitudes that are consolidated into
norms for action, as well as interests and preferences that will determine the
educational and life decisions they will make.

At the Middle Education Level, the learning processes of the Initial Level of the
National Educational System continue. As a means of socialization , it shares
citizens' information with the family , the community, social media and other
educational spaces.

 Characterization: The Political Constitution of the Republic does not require

taking the diversified cycle. In the public sector, educational materials are not
received nor is there systematic training for teachers; Most of the current programs
were developed in 1965, without having been updated. Its purpose is to train
students to continue higher education, educated in the national reality and to provide
them with theoretical-practical knowledge that allows those who do not continue in
the university to join the productive activity of the nation, as elements suitable to
contribute. to its development.

Currently, 142 careers are offered, with specialization in the areas of expert,
baccalaureate, teaching and secretarial. In recent years, careers have been created
that aim to respond to certain technological advances in computing, finance and
marketing in particular.
 Approximately 90% of the services in this cycle correspond to the private sector.
Traditionally, this cycle has been oriented towards obtaining a degree in teaching
and secretarial-expert and insignificantly in the technical branches.

The specific context of secondary

education in Guatemala
Its features and problems
 Context: The General Education Law, in article 37, establishes that upper
secondary education “includes the high school level, the other levels equivalent to
it, as well as professional education that does not require a high school diploma or
its equivalent.” It is after secondary school and is oriented towards the
comprehensive training of the school population, composed mainly of young people
between fifteen and eighteen years of age, who receive the service in federal, state,
autonomous and private institutions. This type of education is given an important
role in the development of our country, since it must promote the creative
participation of new generations in the economy, work and society, reinforce the
process of personality formation in young people and constitute a valuable space for
the adoption of values and the development of attitudes for life. According to their
structural characteristics and educational purposes they provide, this type of
education is made up of two options with different programs; one of a propaedeutic
nature and another of a bivalent nature.

 Traits:
1. All schools must provide educational services every day of the school calendar.

2. All groups must have teachers.

3. All teachers must start their activities on time.

4. All students must attend all classes punctually.

5. Study materials are available to students and are used systematically.

 6. All school time should be spent primarily on learning activities.

7. The activities proposed by the teacher must involve all the students in the
classroom.

8. All students must consolidate their mastery of reading, writing and mathematics.

 Problem:
In fact, in 1990 the entire educational system responded to content taught in Spanish
and with low coverage, without taking into account that the characteristics of a
multiethnic, pluricultural and multilingual society were already legally recognized
(Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala, Article 66).

In the practice of education, there were no specific actions to support the education
of minors with disabilities or learning problems, very low coverage in preschool
preparation, little teacher training and in some places none, since until 1989 there
had been created a National Human Resources Improvement System.

The focus of education was focused on the primary level and yet coverage rates were
very low. This despite certain legal precepts. In the Political Constitution of the
Republic of Guatemala, Section Four of Chapter II -Social Rights-, Title II -Human
Rights-, it is established that pre-primary, primary and basic education is a right and
an obligation for the inhabitants. of the country (article 74). It is the obligation of the
state to provide and facilitate education to its inhabitants without any discrimination
(article 71), and it orders that its administration be decentralized and regionalized
(article 76).

A brief review of the data kept by the Statistical Yearbook of the Ministry of
Education, reports that in 1993 the MINEDUC received a financial contribution of
789.3 million quetzales (a portion of the GDP that did not exceed 1.2%), of which
50.4% It was oriented to the primary level. In that same year, according to the
Statistical Yearbook, a pre-primary level attendance rate of 31% was achieved,
which indicates that of every 100 children of age to study pre-primary education,
only 31 were doing so. The attention rate at the primary level was 68% and at the
basic level 18%. The diversified level had a coverage of 12%, a service highly
concentrated in the capital city.

In 1993, with a national population of 9.5 million inhabitants, the illiteracy rate at the
national level was 58.1% while for that year, the National Literacy Committee
served only 6,483 literate students (CONALFA, 1994). In 1990, the bilingual
education program began, with results for 1993 of 25,281 students served. However,
the panorama presented had very marked quality problems. The overall promotion
rate was around 79%, with a dropout rate of 10% and a teaching population of
46,148 teachers.
 It is for this reason that the publications that report the results of Education only
focus on the analysis of enrollment, because it is not encouraging to report that of
every thousand children who entered the school system, only 200 left the sixth grade
of primary school. The programs and goals had little relevant results until 1995, a
period in which it can be said that the situation remained unchanged. Between 1995
and 1996.

Secondary education students, traits,

concrete reality.
Educator Traits:

1. It's responsible

Responsibility here means that you hold yourself to the same expectations and standards
that you demand of your students. You must be fair and equal. For example, if you don't
allow students to eat gum, you shouldn't either.

2. It is flexible

Flexibility implies that when faced with a special situation or problem you are able to make
changes to lessons or activities on the spot. You must be able to change. If half the students
don't understand a concept, you can't continue without finding a better explanation for them
to understand.

3. He worries

You must do your best to ensure that all students are successful, you must know their
personalities and interests, and be able to incorporate those components to connect
individually with each one.

4. He is compassionate

It is essential that you can recognize that your students have problems outside of school and
make the necessary changes to help solve and overcome them.
5. It's cooperative

Cooperation is key to working effectively with administrators, other teachers, and parents
of students. You must be able to create bonds with others even if you don't always like
them.

6. He is creative

A good teacher must be able to create lessons that attract the attention of their students and
encourage them to continue coming to class. The unique, captivating and dynamic lessons
always have a good effect in the classes.

7. He is dedicated

Dedication means going to class every day and spending the time necessary so that students
receive the best education possible. It is common for educators to arrive early and leave
late, and even work part of their weekend to ensure good lessons.

8. He is determined

Finding the necessary means to connect with all students, regardless of the challenge,
defines a good teacher. They must be willing to do everything to ensure that students
receive the training they need.

9. He is empathetic

A good educator must be able to recognize and empathize with students' struggles, even if
they cannot personally relate to them. You have to try to put yourself in your students'
shoes and seeing things from their perspective is often essential to helping the student
succeed.

10. It's captivating

The ability to attract attention in a classroom full of students, and be able to maintain it for
a long time is very difficult, so it is necessary for the teacher to create fun, fresh and
energetic lessons , leaving them wanting more and motivated to continue coming to class.

 Learner traits:

1. Value and respect life, privacy and dignity of your own and that of other people, as well
as their Rights and Duties that apply to you.
2. Be a witness to human, spiritual, ethical and social values, with a personal and social
commitment.
3. Show respect and pride in being Colombian, in civic symbols and traditions, and in the
Political Constitution.
4. Be autonomous, critical, creative, with the ability to dialogue, agree, decide and achieve
the common good.
5. Possess social knowledge, understood as cultural and academic knowledge, valid for
living, coexisting and projecting oneself as a self-confident, psychologically and
socially balanced person.
6. Be a truthful person, of firm speech, punctual, with distinguished manners and
expressions and excellent personal presentation.
7. Possess knowledge, skills and abilities that allow access to higher education with
academic excellence, or to the world of work with the capacity to transform the
environment and solve problems with criteria of precision, creativity and responsibility.
8. Protect your health, value the standards of medicine, hygiene and industrial safety, with
a positive perception of your body and that of others.
9. Acquire a clear awareness of conservation, care, protection and improvement of the
environment, the rational use of natural resources and the improvement of the quality of
life.

Comprehensive training of the middle

level student
Thanks to new knowledge, supported by research, today we know that educating is more
than teaching intellectual skills: it is educating the person as a whole, also stimulating their
emotional, social and ethical skills.

We need to educate cultured and intelligent students, but who are also respectful,
responsible, collaborators and good citizens; with values and with skills to live those values
in their daily lives. And to do this, we also need education professionals and families to be
models of the exercise of these skills and know how to stimulate them in children and
young people.

Personal, social and ethical development is central to harmonious coexistence, favors

learning and is a key factor in the prevention of risk behaviors.