The OECD has recommended that Mexico split its Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) into two, one devoted to administering the nation's educational system much as it does today, and a separate cabinet agency dedicated to promoting science and allocating resources.
Mexico's lack of attention to science has long been a favorite subject of mine. The OECD suggestion seems like a decent idea, but I'm not convinced that this is necessarily the solution, or at least not the whole solution. It could be just the boost the kick in the scientific pants that Mexico needs, but the government has lots of empty-shell cabinet agencies, and there's nothing to assure that this one will be an effective agent for greater promotion of science, rather than an effective leech of tax dollars. Beyond a new science agency, what's needed is a broad-based government commitment to promoting science and giving Mexico's science stars the chance to apply their talents at home. Whether or not a divided SEP is a better avenue to that remains to be seen.
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