Thursday, April 25, 2013

Defending Education in Mexico?

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com
 
 I'm ashamed to say I am a teacher in Mexico.



 Take a good long look at what unionized teachers have done in Chilpancingo.  These are the same people who claim to be responsible for the education of our youth.  These aren't doctored pictures.  Thousands of teachers have taken to the streets in Guerrero, Hidalgo, Chiapas and Oaxaca to fight the new reform in education.  In Oaxaca this year students have missed 100 days of classes and in Guerrero 60 days.  How do you make up for 100 days of missed educatoin?

What is the big issue they are fighting?  A change that over years was brought on by corruption with in the teachers union with their notorious national leader who is now behind bars for robbing their own union accounts of over 160,000,000 dollars and up to 500,000,000 dollars in pilfering funds over 20 years.  The change now says that teachers will be treated as employees and not like idols on a pedestal.  

Up until now, teachers couldn't be fired.  Their jobs could be held for life and then their positions sold for a price.  Teacher could commit crimes, go to jail and then, because of the protection provided by their union, return to work and sometimes in the same school and position without losing any of their privileges.

Now, the system will be performance based, there will no longer be "plazas" or permanent positions.  If you don't do your job, you're out.  The part they are really pissed off about is the 100% of their salary they would have received as a pension.  Now they will work with a 401K and have the option of receiving a check for life during retirement or a lump sum.

Let's get real, whatever is right or wrong, is it fair to deny children the 60 days of school missed while the teachers are out terrorizing the streets and destroying the city?  Remember this, these four states are the poorest in the country.  Some of you know these states.  There is a direct relationship between education and poverty and these "so-called" teachers are the ones who are responsible for denying Mexicans the right to climb out of poverty.

4 comments:

  1. No way should teachers be unionized. In any country, or under any system.

    Kevin

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  2. Solidarity Forever!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCnEAH5wCzo

    Every worker should have the choice to Unionize.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is unbelievable to me that teachers would behave in such a way. I always felt that teaching was a calling and that it was a privilege to be able to spend time with the students and open their young minds in the most positive of ways. I cannot imagine denying them their education and instead taking to the streets like hoodlums. What a mess!

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  4. No it is not right to have the children affected but their teachers. I believer that they should benefit from what they are working for, not be paid for nothing.

    ReplyDelete