Latinnews Daily - 13 February 2018 |
Mexico’s SNTE gives boost to education reform |
Development: On 12 February, the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE), Mexico’s main teachers’ union, approved changes to its internal structure and re-elected Juan Díaz de la Torre as its main leader. Significance: The changes, and Díaz de la Torre’s re-election, are considered a positive outcome for the successful implementation of the 2012-2013 education reform approved by the incumbent government led by President Enrique Peña Nieto. Díaz de la Torre is a supporter of the reform, which is still strongly resisted by the Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE) rival teachers’ union. For the past five years the CNTE has been staging disruptive protests to try to stop the implementation of the reform and there was speculation that the sector’s discontent could lead to the election of an SNTE leader less supportive of the reform and with closer links to the CNTE.
Looking Ahead: While the outcome of the SNTE congress looks positive for the education reform, that this remains controversial was made clear by the CNTE yesterday. It staged protest marches in various southern states calling for the repeal of the reform and in repudiation of Díaz de la Torre, who it accuses of being subservient to the government. The new government that is to be elected in the 1 July general election will have to find a way to appease the CNTE. |