Avances y retos de la educación superior pública y gratuita en Nicaragua (Breve recorrido histórico)

Abstract

This essay examines the evolution of Nicaragua’s higher education system within the Latin American context, with a particular emphasis on the public and tuition-free nature of this crucial educational subsystem. To address these matters, it is essential to talk about the Sandinista Popular Revolution in its first stage, when the Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) ceased to be an exclusive object of the wealthy social sector, giving participation to all the social sectors of the country. Similarly, the period of neoliberal governments and their state policies, which aimed to dismantle the public and inclusive university system, cannot be overlooked. These policies denied the system its legally entitled budgetary resources, promoted private universities, and ultimately undermined the principle of free and accessible higher education for the popular sectors. Another aspect we reflect upon is the transformation that has occurred in university education over the past two decades. The methodology employed is qualitative, relying on bibliographic and documentary analysis.

Consequently, the sources consulted include reports and documents pertaining to the new regulatory, legal, and administrative framework governing higher education institutions (HEIs), as well as contributions from the National Council for Evaluation and Accreditation (CNEA). The analysis proceeds in several stages: first, a comparative examination of the Nicaraguan education system in relation to other countries in the region is conducted; second, a historical overview of the achievements in higher education during the Sandinista Popular Revolution (1979–1990) is presented; third, an analysis of neoliberal educational policies is undertaken; and, finally, an assessment of the scope of recent reforms is provided.