Mexico’s new education laws: reform or political power play?
03/14/2013 By Leave a Comment
Photo: Susana Gonzalez / Bloomberg / Getty Images
On Feb. 26, just days before radical new educational reforms were scheduled to take effect, Elba Esther Gordillo, head of Mexico’s powerful teacher’s union for almost a quarter century, was arrested and charged with embezzling 2 billion pesos (approximately $160 million) from her union during her tenure.
The question that is foremost on everyone’s mind: is this a move by President Enrique Peña Nieto to get rid himself of a leading political opponent, or is it another move to break the power of the teacher’s union nearly monopolistic control of the Mexican educational system and an effort to bring about actual reform?
Mexico is currently ranked last among the members of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to the organization’s 2012 report. This is not the result of lack of funding.