Pátzcuaro, Michoacán - The people of Pátzcuaro and the Purépecha region know well that the teachers have been fighting for the people. Movements like those in Cherán, Nurío, Nahuatzen and many others, in which the forest, indigenous rights and security have been defended, would not have been possible without the teachers, because in rural and indigenous areas the teacher is fundamental, said José Luis Silva, a server at the traditional restaurant Alicia.
"The basic education teachers are the ones who promoted education in this region. Now there are two indigenous universities, one in Pátzcuaro and the other in the town of Tingambato near Nahuatzen. There are also schools of higher secondary education in almost all the indigenous municipalities that should be recognized. Sometimes the teachers are judged without knowing that they are the ones who have opened the eyes of the common people," he underscored.He explained that the majority of teachers in this municipality are graduates of the states' eight rural normal [teacher] schools.
"Earlier in the [indigenous] communities, there were no professionals. Now we can say that there is at least one in every community. They are our people. They tell us why they have to take to the streets to defend our rights, and what we can see is that no one responds from the government."According to State Congressional Deputy Eleazar Aparicio Tercero, the federal government tries to devalue the role and struggle of the teachers who are against education reform, which only serves the interests of a few. A graduate of the Rural Normal [School] Vasco de Quiroga, Tiripetío, the legislator said that teaching has been an important source of grounding for the ethnic Nahua, Mazahua, Otomí and Purépecha peoples.
"(With the teachers) important social achievements have been obtained, such as free uniforms, books and supplies. They have been an instrument for educational change that has not occurred in Mexico [Federal District]. A few self-interested power groups participated in the educational reform. There have been many agreements that the authorities do not carry out, they tire them [teachers] out and force them to take to the streets, then discredit them," he emphasized.
PRD [Party of the Democratic Revolution] Senator Raúl Morón Orozco regretted that the federal government and the teachers have not exhausted the path of dialogue to reach an agreement on the demands put forward, and he stressed that every effort should be made to hold a working session as soon as possible for discussion, dialogue and consultation.
The Senator declared that the conflict arising from the adoption of educational reform has been complicated by various states, such as Guerrero and Oaxaca, and by the lack of participatory processes in the passing of what have been called "structural reforms of the State". Many of these "structural reforms" are under the Pact for Mexico, which has not taken into account the views of various sectors of the population. Spanish original
The Senator declared that the conflict arising from the adoption of educational reform has been complicated by various states, such as Guerrero and Oaxaca, and by the lack of participatory processes in the passing of what have been called "structural reforms of the State". Many of these "structural reforms" are under the Pact for Mexico, which has not taken into account the views of various sectors of the population. Spanish original