SISTEMAS EDUCATIVOS Y POLÍTICAS EDUCATIVAS EN EL PROCESO DE ENSEÑANZA
APRENDIZAJE DE INGLÉS COMO LENGUA EXTRANJERA
UNIDAD 1
Public Policies
Public Policies
INDEX
1. UNIT 1: PUBLIC POLICIES........................................................................ 2
Topic 1: Public Policies .................................................................................................................... 2
2. Subtopics Information .............................................................................. 3
2.1 Subtopic 1: Course Presentation ............................................................................................ 3
» Main didactic components of the course .................................................................................... 3
» Objective ................................................................................................................................... 3
» Contents .................................................................................................................................... 3
» Methods..................................................................................................................................... 4
» Teaching aids ............................................................................................................................ 5
» Assessment ............................................................................................................................... 5
2.2 Subtopic 2: Public Policies: Concept ...................................................................................... 5
» What are public policies for? ...................................................................................................... 6
» Why are public policies important? ............................................................................................ 7
2.3 Subtopic 3: Ecuadorian Public Policies .................................................................................. 8
1. Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador ................................................................................. 9
2. National Development Plan (PND 2017-2021) ....................................................................... 9
3. The Organic Law on intercultural Education ......................................................................... 11
1. Why is public policy important to know? ............................................................................... 12
2. What can you do with public policy? .................................................................................... 12
3. What is a constitution? Why is it important a country’ citizens? .............................................. 12
4. What is the purpose of Ecuador’s National Development Plan? ............................................. 12
5. Why is the Organic Law of Intercultural Education relevant to your reality and future? ....... 13
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Public Policies
1. UNIT 1: PUBLIC POLICIES
Topic 1: Public Policies
Objective:
To get acquainted with the most important Ecuadorian public policies in order to
analyze the fulfillment of them in educational institutions.
Introduction:
In order to create effective change in your community or country, one of the main
things you should be aware of are the rules and regulations of that community.
Knowledge of the rules and a critical mind allows people to analyze current
realities and prior laws in order to debate whether they are fair or pertinent to the
times. Effecting change in a community is a necessity but it comes with
knowledge of how the public system works. This unit will introduce the basic
fundamentals of Public Policy and it’s characteristics.
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2. SUBTOPICS INFORMATION
2.1 Subtopic 1: Course Presentation
Warm greetings and welcome to the subject: Educational Systems and Contexts!
Educational Systems and Contexts is a subject which tries to integrate contents
from the syllabus you’ll receive during this semester, that’s why it is included within
the integrative chair. Throughout it, you’re going to analyze the Ecuadorian public
policies and analyze school systems and contexts.
» Main didactic components of the course
When we talk about curricula, and design a syllabus we cannot forget at least five
main components:
1. Objectives,
2. Content, which include:
a. knowledge (what)
b. skills (how)
c. values (what for)
3. Methods,
4. Teaching aids
5. Assessments
» Objective
So, as our main goal, at the end of this course you should: write a report about
the analysis of the current school situations, concerning the fulfillment of
educational public policies, school organizations, and contexts of English learning
through observation guides.
» Contents
To reach this objective we have to deal with some contents distributed in three
(3) units:
1. The first unit refers to public policies in general, concepts, some of the main
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policies in Ecuador, as well as if education rights are considered within the main
public policies, and quality standards on education.
2. The second unit deals with the school organization and its main
dimensions: infrastructure, school management, and the teaching-learning
process.
3. The last unit concerns the origins and evolution of English as a universal language
and general methodological aspects.
AII this theoretical knowledge should be applied during your observations in
educational institutions.
» Methods
To put the contents into practice, we use some active methods and participatory
techniques, such as:
• Group discussions (through forums and chats)
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• Individual and group work in independent tasks.
Remember that you have to be responsible for your own learning, teachers or
tutors are just going to be facilitators during this constructive process.
» Teaching aids
Different teaching aids such as: videos, articles, power points, chats, observation
guides, zoom, among others, are going to be used to make the teaching and
learning process easier to understand the main contents, get feedback,
synthesize
and consolidate the main knowledge.
» Assessment
The semester is divided into two periods and you’ll have to take two exams, one
after the first marking period in week 8, and the other at the end of the second
marking period in week 16. You have to participate during all the forums, chats or
other activities planned, answer all independent activities to the best of your
abilities, and hand them in, before the deadlines for the highest scores possible.
There are some physical books which may be consulted at the CRAI building on-
campus. But we are going to use mainly articles, texts, and videos from the
internet. That is in essence the main important aspects related to this subject.
2.2 Subtopic 2: Public Policies: Concept
What are public policies?
Policy, according to some virtual dictionaries, means: “…a set of ideas or plans
that is used as a basis for making decisions, especially in politics, economics, or
business.” (Collins, n.d.). When consulting the concept in specialized papers we
can notice that within these definitions there are some common words which
coincide with the concepts given by academics. These words are: actions, making
decisions, and government.
Schuster, Kilpatrick, and other scholars define public policy as a system of
actions, legal measures, mandates, or laws, which have become an issue of
concern for the state, governmental entity, or its representatives. That’s why
"public policy is commonly ‘embodied’ (incluido) in "constitutions, legislative
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acts, and judicial decisions." Then, when we refer to public policy we are talking
about general declarations or official ‘announcements’ (declaraciones,
pronunciamientos o anuncios) about national ‘issues’ (problemas). ‘In a nutshell’
(en resumen), it is a set of regulations or guidelines addressed to solve a social
situation, or to provide justice, which responds to a purpose or objective and
should be achieved within a period of time. That is why it is important to monitor
and evaluate them.
» What are public policies for?
National governments are in charge of society. The state should implement peace
and protect citizens, offering people the possibility to access the main human
necessities and rights such as health, education, security (safety and well-being),
etc. The government makes possible that the country develops its cultural and
economic spheres. That is why we should not only reflect on public policies and
their functions but also study and analyze them. We should ‘bear in mind’
(considerar), as a citizen,
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what are my rights? What are my resources? If I have a problem, which agency I
should refer to? Answers to all those questions may be found in public policy.
Public policy functions as a problem-solver, understanding the causes and
consequences” (Kettl, 2007).
Then public policies are needed to organize and control both individuals and
society. Good public policies solve problems effectively and efficiently, supporting
and encouraging institutions and citizens, as a result, they serve justice. But there
are important general steps any government should take into account if they want
to apply public policies efficiently: Defining the problem, selecting best solutions,
putting them into practice, monitoring, and evaluating them.
» Why are public policies important?
We, as citizens, should know or be informed about our rights, but also about our
obligations. Public policies are important because they are thought and written by
the people who rule the State, so they have a great responsibility because they
should guarantee the regulations practical implementations in our social contexts.
But laws would be possibly implemented, if we - the citizens - are concerned and
committed in their executions, so public policies require a synergic work to be
successful.
"Public policy is important because policy choices and decisions
made by those in power affect nearly every aspect of daily life,
including education, healthcare, and national security. Some public
policy is concerned with ‘short-term issues’ (cuestiones a corto
plazo), such as coordinating ‘relief efforts’ (labores de socorro)
following natural disasters or to alleviate economic concerns
produced by a sudden ‘downturn’ (recesión, caída) in the market.
Public policy sets some societal norms for behavior, and also strives
to improve the quality of life for people."5
As an example of a short-term issue, concerning natural disasters in our country,
we can remember that after the big earthquake occurred on April 16th, 2016, a
payment regulation tax was implemented by raising taxes 2% in 2017 and 2018.
In this manner, every citizen contributed to support the cities affected and helped
to finance the reconstruction of those places.
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Sometimes the government gives citizens the opportunity to decide to put into
practice or not a specific law or regulation, through public consultations. The
Correa and Lenin presidencies have been examples of these referendums.
2.3 Subtopic 3: Ecuadorian Public Policies
In 2008, with the Correa presidency, for the first time in Ecuador’s history, a
government promoted the formulation of sectorial public policies with a human
rights approach at the national level, that's why public policy has been the center
of attention worldwide in the last years. This is thanks to the fact that the National
Secretariat for Planning and Development {SENPLADES) is strengthening the
capacities of public servants in this area, with the support of the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights {OACNUDH).
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1. Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador
The current Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador is the supreme applicable
and current legal national norm. It replaced the 1998 Constitution and was drafted
by the National Constituent Assembly between 2007 and 2008; the normative text
‘was submitted’ (se sometió) to a constitutional referendum, being ‘approved’
(aprobado) by universal suffrage (sufragio), obtaining 63.93% of the valid votes.
The approved text was sent and published in the ‘Official Registry’ (archivos) and
governs as a national constitution from October 20, 2008.
The 2008 Constitution is established as the highest legal standard within the
Ecuadorian legal system, having supremacy over intenational conventions and
treaties—except in cases of more beneficial human rights. This supremacy
obliges all the new infra-constitutional norms to be drafted in accordance with
human rights and guarantees established in the constitutional text, as well as
reforming and revoking the old norms that opposed it.
The 2008 Ecuadorian Constitution comprises a preamble and nine titles, which
include four hundred and forty-four (444) articles; unlike the previous
constitutions, the 2008 Constitution establishes the separation of functions into
five: Three traditional functions (executive, legislative and judicial); and two new
functions: electoral transparency and social control.
2. National Development Plan (PND 2017-2021)
The "National Development Plan 2017-2021 for the Wellbeing of Ecuador” is the
main instrument of the National Decentralized Participatory Planning System
(SNDPP), and its objective is to contribute to the progressive fulfillment of:
• Constitutional rights
• The objectives of the development regime and provisions of the
development regime (through the implementation of public policies)
• The programs, projects, and interventions ‘that arise’ (surjan o se originen)
from there.
• It is based on the ‘achievements’ (logros) of the "last 10 years" and
‘highlights’ (resalta) the existence of new challenges to be achieved
around three main areas:
1. Lifelong rights for everyone
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2. Economy at the service of society
3. More society, better State.
Each area contains three national development objectives that differ from the
usual sectorial logic and give answers to the national priorities. This vision is also
part of international ‘commitments’ (compromisos) for global development, such
as the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.
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3. The Organic Law on intercultural Education
The Organic Law on Intercultural Education has as its main
objective to develop and deepen the rights, obligations, and
constitutional guarantees in the educational field. It
establishes the basic regulations for the structure, levels and
modalities, management model, financing and participation
of the actors of the National Education System. It is a law with
an inclusive character, so it is ‘devoted’ (dedicada) to children,
adolescents, young adults, and adults. It is oriented towards
groups ‘subject to’ (sujetos a) special protection like women,
residents of rural spaces, indigenous people, afro-
descendant, and differently-abled people.
It contemplates the following standard rights:
• The right to well-being, to live in a family
environment, and to receive adequate
treatment in it.
• The right to health.
• The right to education.
• The right to special protection and ‘restitution’ (indemnización)
for violated
groups.
Public Policies
1. Unit Comprehension
Questions
1. Why is public policy important to know?
Public policy is important to know because it affects every
aspect of our lives and can shape our future. Understanding
public policy helps individuals make informed decisions and
hold their governments accountable.
2. What can you do with public policy?
With knowledge of public policy, individuals can advocate for
changes they believe are necessary and contribute to the
development and implementation of policies. They can also
analyze the impact of policies and assess their effectiveness.
3. What is a constitution? Why is it important a
country’ citizens?
A constitution is a fundamental document that outlines the
rights and responsibilities of citizens and establishes the
framework for the government. It is important because it
provides a system of checks and balances to prevent abuse of
power and ensure the protection of individual rights.
4. What is the purpose of Ecuador’s National
Development Plan?
Ecuador's National Development Plan is designed to guide the
country's social, economic, and environmental development
over a specific period of time. Its purpose is to improve the
quality of life for Ecuadorians and promote sustainable
development.
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5. Why is the Organic Law of Intercultural
Education relevant to your reality and
future?
The Organic Law of Intercultural Education is relevant because
it aims to promote respect for cultural diversity and ensure
equitable access to education for all. It recognizes the
importance of incorporating indigenous knowledge and values
into the education system, which is crucial for creating a more
inclusive and equitable society.
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2. MATERIAL COMPLEMENTARIO
The following complementary resources are suggestions so that you can expand
the information on the topic worked, as part of your autonomous learning process:
Support Videos:
What is public policy? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AZWk9DCaho
Supporting bibliography:
What Is Public Policy And Why Is It Important?
https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/what-is-public-policy/
Support links:
The Five Stages of the Policy Making Cycle. https://online.pointpark.edu/public-
administration/policy-making-cycle/
Public Policy and its Features. https://www.toppr.com/guides/commercial-
knowledge/government-policies-for-business-growth/public-policy-and-its-
features/
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3. BIBLIOGRAFIA
• Kettl, D. F. (2007). An introduction to public policy, by Louis W.
Koenig. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986, 367pp. Price: $27.95
cloth. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 6(3), 474–
476. doi:10.1002/pam.4050060329
• Schuster, W. Michael (2008, December 31). For the Greater Good:
The Use of Public Policy Considerations in Confirming Chapter 11 Plans
of Reorganization" - vía papers.ssm.com.
• Thomas R. Dye. (2005). Understanding Public Policy. Prentice Hall
Available in: https://es.scribd.com/doc/43449660/Nature-and-Function-of-
Public- Policy- New-2
• Reference.com. Government & Politics. Available
in: http://www.planificacion.gob.ec/ecuador-es-referente-mundial-
en-la- construccion-de-politicas-publicas/
• Constitution of 2008. Republic of Ecuador. Available in:
http://pd ba
.georgetown. edu/Constitutions/Ecuad or/engl ish08. htm 1
• Secretaría Nacional de Planificación y Desarrollo - Senplades
Portal. Available in: http://www.planificacion.gob.ec/ecuador-es-referente-
mundial-en-la-construccion-de-politicas-publicas/
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