Diagnosis of the need for investment in higher Technical and Technological Institutes in the Ecuador

Abstract

Technical and technological education in Ecuador has had a boost in recent years, but, despite the importance of these institutions for socioeconomic development, the allocated budget is limited. The research is aimed at analyzing the need for investment in technical and technological education in the country. For this purpose, a field research, exploratory, quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental methodology is used. The analysis is based on data from INEC and Senescyt, and highlights the disparity in investment between technical-technological and university education. It is evident that most of the budget is allocated to salaries and operating expenses, while investment in infrastructure and financial support for students has a lesser weight. The analysis also addresses the gap in technical and technological education coverage, as well as the provincial distribution of education spending. The analysis based on three dimensions concludes that it is essential to promote the technical and technological education sector through five investment areas: Technological Infrastructure, Improvement of Physical Facilities, Updating Educational Equipment and Materials, Teacher Training and Strengthening Academic Programs.