Translated by Alise Rule
Sale of Teaching Positions Has Long Corrupted the Profession: Critics
Researchers, writers, scientists and physical educators have demanded that President Enrique Peña Nieto strengthen the national education system and make education a human right and an ethical principle reinforcing civic and social values. They emphasized that carrying out this reform would mean reducing the power of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE).
The national forum 'Quality Education for All Mexicans', was convened in the port city of Boca Del Rio, Veracruz, with the aim of consulting citizens in order to devise the National Development Plan for 2013-2018. Five specialists had their say before educational and university authorities, including the president of the UNAM [National Autonomous University of Mexico], José Narro Robles, to demand a real transformation of public schools, in which teachers are not the only ones held responsible for academic failure.
Education expert Gilberto Guevara Niebla asserted that regaining State control in this area involves not only pushing for new leadership, but also reducing the decision-making power of the SNTE in the educational system.
He added that this means not leaving directors and supervisors in the hands of the union, since to gain access to these positions “it is enough to be loyal to the union for a certain amount of time,” and warned that the selling or assignment of jobs has been a “long-time abuse” of the organization.
In the face of this criticism, Juan Díaz de la Torre, leader of the teacher's union, stated that the researcher
He claimed that this “deep” reform would cost very little in economic terms, especially
In regard to the role of science, technology, and innovation, José Franco López, president of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, called for making scientific knowledge a true driving force for national economic development, as well as an instrument to solve the most urgent problems.
He affirmed that science should be considered a national priority. He called for the creation of a real government policy on the subject with clear goals for both the medium and long terms. He requested greater support for technology and innovation, with resources that allow at least one percent of the gross domestic product to be set aside for the sector by the end of the next six years.
In the afternoon at the World Trade Center of Boca del Rio, where the meeting took place, specialists and researchers participated in six forums in which proposals were presented on elementary, secondary and higher education, as well as on science, technology, culture, and physical education.
Among the topics covered, increasing enrollment and making high school education universal were emphasized. Specialists advised that this goal should entail a
Researchers, writers, scientists and physical educators have demanded that President Enrique Peña Nieto strengthen the national education system and make education a human right and an ethical principle reinforcing civic and social values. They emphasized that carrying out this reform would mean reducing the power of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE).
The national forum 'Quality Education for All Mexicans', was convened in the port city of Boca Del Rio, Veracruz, with the aim of consulting citizens in order to devise the National Development Plan for 2013-2018. Five specialists had their say before educational and university authorities, including the president of the UNAM [National Autonomous University of Mexico], José Narro Robles, to demand a real transformation of public schools, in which teachers are not the only ones held responsible for academic failure.
Education expert Gilberto Guevara Niebla asserted that regaining State control in this area involves not only pushing for new leadership, but also reducing the decision-making power of the SNTE in the educational system.
He added that this means not leaving directors and supervisors in the hands of the union, since to gain access to these positions “it is enough to be loyal to the union for a certain amount of time,” and warned that the selling or assignment of jobs has been a “long-time abuse” of the organization.
In the face of this criticism, Juan Díaz de la Torre, leader of the teacher's union, stated that the researcher
“has a right to express himself, but fundamentally it seems to me that he is still a student leader.” He warned that, as a trade union, they have “a right to collective association, and we will defend that right.”The poet Jaime Labastida Ochoa called for the public school system to be centered on the preservation of cultural heritage, the teaching of Spanish, and its recognition as the national language. He believes the keys are improved mathematics instruction and, through greater public efforts, the promotion of reading both in the classroom and at home.
He claimed that this “deep” reform would cost very little in economic terms, especially
“if it is compared with wasteful spending and enormous educational fraud, such as the Encyclomedia and Digital Skills for All projects, the economic dimensions of which we are not yet fully aware. This is waste that should not happen again.” He demanded that these issues be “thoroughly” investigated.In front of Peña Nieto and the Veracruz governor and event host, Javier Duarte de Ochoa, he noted that Mexico should leave behind
“the old resentments and frustrations. It should look ahead with aspirations of greatness.”The Institute for Promotion of Educational Research and the Mexican Council of Educational Research, among other organizations, delivered their proposals on the subject.
In regard to the role of science, technology, and innovation, José Franco López, president of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, called for making scientific knowledge a true driving force for national economic development, as well as an instrument to solve the most urgent problems.
He affirmed that science should be considered a national priority. He called for the creation of a real government policy on the subject with clear goals for both the medium and long terms. He requested greater support for technology and innovation, with resources that allow at least one percent of the gross domestic product to be set aside for the sector by the end of the next six years.
In the afternoon at the World Trade Center of Boca del Rio, where the meeting took place, specialists and researchers participated in six forums in which proposals were presented on elementary, secondary and higher education, as well as on science, technology, culture, and physical education.
Among the topics covered, increasing enrollment and making high school education universal were emphasized. Specialists advised that this goal should entail a
“transformation of the educational model to make it more relevant and to avoid high dropout rates.”In relation to elementary and middle school education, discussion centered on the critical role of teacher training and avoiding that assessment “is confused with written testing” and the perception that a school's autonomy “can only be financial, when it needs to be educational.” Spanish original