Mexican President Peña Nieto announces education reform plan

Los Angeles Times ^ | December 10, 2012 | Tracy Wilkinson

[JerseyanExile]

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, center, at the announcement of an education reform plan.

President Enrique Peña Nieto on Monday announced a broad reform aimed at improving Mexico’s sclerotic educational system, a plan that also seems aimed at weakening the enormously powerful teachers union.

Mexico has some of the worst public schools in the hemisphere, consistently placing low on international surveys of education quality. Many blame the union and its autocratic boss, Elba Esther Gordillo, who have perpetuated a system that allows teachers to buy or inherit their jobs, regardless of skill or qualifications.

The initiative announced Monday by Peña Nieto would establish a separate and autonomous body to evaluate teachers, something that has not existed. The president also ordered the national statistics agency to conduct an accurate counting of teachers. One of the absurdities of the Mexican system has been that authorities do not really know how many teachers and schools Mexico has. That allowed Gordillo to skirt a full accounting of the enormous budget she controls, critics contend.

Gordillo, who had herself declared “president for life” of the union, has been accused of using the organization to amass great personal wealth, including real estate in Southern California. She has denied wrongdoing but does not hesitate to flaunt her riches through designer clothes, jewelry and expensive cars.

Politicians are often afraid of her because she can turn out more than a million votes in national elections.

[massgopguy]

Send every child to the United States where we HAVE to educate them.

[yoe]

The powerful teachers union can eat President Enrique Peña Nieto for lunch as far as I care....his most pressing situation is to release Jon Hammar from prison where he is being wrongfully held. The corrupt system wants money to release this American....where is Hillary on this and her boss Obama......here are some facts...read and hammer your elected to free this American: (Marine Held in Mexican Prison, State Department Does Nothing)

[jsanders2001]

Yep.exactly what I thought; use our tax $$$ to educate their children who will end up taking our jobs and resources without having to pay taxes. Brilliant!.../s

[SeminoleCounty]

Mexican Education Reform? That’s a joke, right?

I bet this means more Aztlan and Reconquista Studies....with a minor in Mestizo Ku Klux Klan agitation....and Penetrating Borders.

Any nation whose main goal is to ship its non-European population to the US is nothing more than a 3d World Craphole