Omar Torres/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
As reported in The New York Times yesterday, teachers took to the streets of Mexico City to protest the country’s education overhaul program. The teachers occupied public spaces, blocked access to hotels and the airport, and warned of greater mobilization in coming days. They are protesting the fact that the coming education reforms promise to weed out underperforming teachers, raise hiring standards, and weaken the union. Prior demonstrations have already succeeded in pushing lawmakers to forego an evaluation requirement aimed at halting the practice of buying and selling teaching jobs. According to the article, “Teachers buy, sell or inherit positions as though they were family heirlooms. Removing poorly performing teachers is virtually impossible, even over allegations of sexual or substance abuse.” The new law would make teacher evaluations obligatory every four years.
see prior IEN reports:
Mexico Approves Massive Education Reform
Reforms in India and Mexico in the Journal of Educational Change
International Education News 