Mexico Teachers Protests

Not happy with the new education reform bill that passed. We are going to a performance based evaluation and teachers all over the country are being tested this summer. Here in Nuevo Leon, we have over 700 teachers that are considered to be "insufficient" and will have the option to retake the test, receive additional schooling and training.

The reform was mostly created by Sylvia Schmelkes who has worked extensively in rural areas, a text writer and well-known internationally.

There are lots of pros and cons to the reform but overall, in my personal opinion, it will improve the level of education in Mexico helping to eliminate teachers who are not qualified, nepotism, union contacts, etc.

Testing has already begun and will continue until the middle of July. Teachers at my school were tested last Saturday.

Very interesting changes taking place here in Mexico.

Not too inviting to travel in Mexico. I hope it will settle soon. I plan to go with a caravan in November 16 or January 17. Protest is one thing, people dying during a protest is at another level.

We plan to go from Texas to Mexico, then Ixtapa and up to PV.

Did you sign up with France Chouinard this weekend at Ste-Anne-de-Sorel? (Caravane Mexique)

The hub-bub should slow down once the police have killed enough demonstrators and Ms.(Sra?) Schmelkis are assassinated like their Mayors and Police Chiefs and Judicial Prosecutors are.

I do hope that there is a "peaceful" solution down there.

The Secretario de Educacion is not interested in education or the teachers, he has instituted tests for weeding out the bad teachers and is more of a political figure than an educator, the teachers want to have a dialog with him and he is refusing to do so, it will take some time to resolve hopefully by the time that all the snowbirds that come to Mexico start arriving, time will tell.

navegator

Most people don't like change especially when they have gotten away without working for so long. Kind of like Texas teachers and the Texas Teacher's union. Same flavor different country.

As for killing people, the protesters severely injured 50 federales. It works both ways.

I guess a lot of people just don't know the story. Not much to have a dialogue about, the senate and house of representatives were the ones who voted for it, not the Secretario de Educacion Publica.

The same as any senate in any country. People vote for them and when they turn out to be rats nobody has the huevos do go back kick them out.

Kidoo wrote:
Not too inviting to travel in Mexico. I hope it will settle soon. I plan to go with a caravan in November 16 or January 17. Protest is one thing, people dying during a protest is at another level.

We plan to go from Texas to Mexico, then Ixtapa and up to PV.

Geez stay in the place where you are safe, it it's not "inviting enough" for you....as if it has anything to d o with you. Oh by the way, it has nothing to do with you.

Maybe I should have never brought this up. It is about one very specific and tiny area of Mexico and one very specific subject and reason. No reason for any concern unless you are going to be in this specific area. The only concern there might be for tourists or RVers is that there could be traffic delays. That was the only reason for the post. We were in Oaxaca last winter and the teachers were letting off steam and the police were on hand but at that point not even any traffic problems.

There was a mega march here in Monterrey last night. Non-violent, thousands of teachers attended. Good for them. It's not going to change anything. Good thing is that they waited until the end of the school year. Today is the last day of classes.

There will be more marches and protest in the coming months, vehicles with Canadian or US plates will not be bothered and will be redirected away from the areas of unrest, the general population in Mexico are noble and will help a foreighner stay out of trouble.

navegator