Mexico: Historic education agreement reached

Contributed by Michael Lisman:

An historic agreement was reached last week between President Calderón and Elba Esther Gordillo, the head of the most powerful Mexican teachers’ union, the SNTE. The agreement, referred to as the “Alliance for Education Quality,” commits massive infrastructure improvements in exchange for the implementation of teacher competency tests, which are unprecedented in the region.

An article in this week’s The Economist assesses the prospects for impact, noting:

The reaction of educational experts to the deal has been muted. Many find it hard to believe that the union will concede its power over hiring and firing in a meaningful way. They also note that Ms Gordillo has a knack of co-opting reforms to serve her own ends. Yet Josefina Vásquez Mota, the minister of education, is one of Mr. Calderón's more able political operators. If she can make the agreement stick in practice, the quality of Mexican schooling should gradually improve.

Sources: El Universal, The Economist

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