Follow-up study on the first group of ninth grade students : television and educational reform in El Salvador

THE STUDY WAS MADE ON A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 392 CHOSEN BY TYPE OF INSTRUCTION (TV, TRADITIONAL OR CONTROL -- NEW CURRICULUM MINUS INSTRUCTIONAL TELEVISION) AND BY SCHOOL (URBAN OR RURAL). INFORMATION ON THE GRADUATES" CAREER AND EDUCATIONAL PLANS, WHAT ROLE THE NEW SYSTEM HAS HAD ON THESE PLANS, WHAT THE STUDENTS PRESENTLY WERE DOING, THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD THE REFORM AND THEIR GENERAL IMPRESSION OF THEIR EDUCATION WAS OBTAINED THROUGH PERSONAL INTERVIEWS. TABLES INDICATING THE TYPE AND FREQUENCY OF RESPONSES GIVEN IN THE INTERVIEWS ARE INCLUDED. CONCLUSIONS ARE MIXED. ALTHOUGH MORE THAN 90% OF THE STUDENTS ARE CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION, THEY ARE ENROLLED IN PROGRAMS LEADING TO THE UNIVERSITY RATHER THAN TO THE MIDDLE-LEVEL TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS AREAS THE REFORM HAD HOPED TO FILL. THE GRADUATES TOO SEEM TO BE MIGRATING TO THE CITIES AND TOWNS, THUS RETARDING DEVELOPMENT OF THE RURAL AREAS, WHERE A HIGHER PROPORTION OF GRADUATES ARE NEITHER WORKING OR STUDYING. STUDENT DISSATISFACTION WITH VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE NEW SYSTEM WAS RECORDED, THOUGH THE STUDENTS DID FEEL IT GAVE THEM A DESIRE FOR ACHIEVEMENT, SELF-CONFIDENCE AND INDEPENDENCE.