Mexico Goes Back To School (With Caveats)

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

The big announcement was made today during Presidente Dingus' daily two-hour sermon.  It was a big show with the secretary of education, and the president among others.  His sermon started off with his Monday's business of the day.  

1)  Quien Es Quien in gasoline prices.  The webpage is really a well-laid out website that allows consumers to check "daily" prices of all goods sold in Mexico; food, clothing, hardware, and of course, gasoline.  Not sure why Mr. Sheffield presents this every Monday.  Gas prices have yet to go down and after the oil glut at the beginning of COVID, they have only risen.  Mexicans are not quite yet consumer-oriented and still accustomed to Pemex stations in the sense that the price was always the same so no one pays much attention.

2)  PD always presents a video about the advances of his airport that is actually a military base and how much money he is saving by paying off the contracts from our new airport that was to be built in Texcoco.  We lost billions of dollars on this project but he refuses to not let bygones be bygones.  Because no one would let him into politics, (snakes usually are but this snake had belonged to every party that has ever existed in Mexico, hmm, so I guess he should be called a chameleon) he continues to seek revenge against anything that he considers neo-liberal.  He now has to build a 52 km highway so that people can get from the airport and back from Mexico City, an estimated two-hour one-way trip.

3)  Another video representing his Tren Maya where he claims environmental studies have been conducted and that there will be no ill effects from its construction.  Well, leave it up to government ground feeders to say those things give the green light.  So now, the indigenous people that he is giving fruit tree seedlings to, can peddle their wares without any taxes, along the railroad tracks at each stop and work their way out of poverty.  If you know the Chepe from Chihuahua to the west coast, no indigenous person has ever gotten out of poverty by selling things alongside the train.

So back to school.  It will virtual for all 16 grades or levels.  Three television stations have committed to broadcasting 24/7 class information, class subject related videos, and lectures for older students.  In addition, the radio will broadcast for those that have no internet, no television, and will receive physical materials such as worksheets and books and they will listen and work.  For schools in cities or rural areas with internet, schools will use Moodle or Zoom type programs for real-time classes.  The majority of the population will receive classes with a teacher via internet.  In rural areas, there are teachers who will continue with televised (tele-secundarias) classes and radio.  

The best part is that somehow, the president's cabinet was able to convince him not to have students return to classes.

His new lema (slogan), " I will wear a mask once there is no corruption in Mexico".  He may not live to tell the tale.