Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Monday, September 09, 2013

Confidence from Mexico

Mexico's president seems to have stood up to a powerful former ally.

Mexico leader celebrates education reform victory

Enrique Pena Nieto

President Enrique Pena Nieto used his first state-of-the-nation address Monday to push an aggressive reform agenda that seemed to be on the ropes last week, as protesting teachers attempted to block his plan for mandatory evaluations.

Pena Nieto opened the speech praising a midnight vote by the lower house of Congress to set up a competitive examination system for hiring teachers and to require them to pass regular evaluations in order to remain in the classroom.

The education bill still must be approved by the Senate, and protesting teachers who blocked Mexico City's main freeway and access to its airport last week continue to occupy the capital's main plaza.

"Resistance is a natural consequence when you are pushing a transformation," he said of the protesters, who also caused him to change the date and location of his speech. "Our dilemma had been whether to continue to stagnate or to allow the state to recover the leadership and transform and improve the quality of education."…