The role of parent committees in public primary schools in Oaxaca, Mexico

Abstract

This article examines the prominent role played by Parent Committees in public primary schools in the City of Oaxaca. These organizations collectively represent families before school authorities, mobilize resources, and carry out maintenance and improvement activities for educational infrastructure; therefore, the study analyzes how these committees are organized, the tasks they perform, and the perceptions their members hold regarding their own functioning. Oaxaca is a state in southern Mexico characterized by a strong Indigenous presence and community-based practices, which led to an exploration of how this context influenced committee dynamics. The research employed a qualitative approach: semi-structured interviews were conducted, secondary data were collected, purposive sampling was applied, and Atlas.ti software was used for the systematization and categorization of information. One of the main findings reveals a tension between legislation and the actual conditions under which the committees operate, and one of the central conclusions is that their prominent role stems from the State’s abandonment of its responsibilities as guarantor of public education; thus, the article offers an empirical contribution by demonstrating the complexity of collective family involvement through these committees.