Politics: Officials Boxed Into Corner on Reform

MEXICO - Report 27 Jul 2016 by Guillermo Valdes and Esteban Manteca

Protests by teachers have led to government negotiations on several levels in the past two weeks. After engaging in talks with the dissident faction of the teachers’ union in an effort to end the crisis posed by the roadblocks hardline anti education-reform protestors are periodically setting up along highways and other transportation arteries in many parts of the country, the Ministry of Public Education unexpectedly negotiated with the official teacher’s union leadership a series of agreements, including the possibility of adopting a more flexible approach to teacher testing, as well as economic concessions.

That pact sparked immediate blowback from other authorities, education reform advocates and the national employers confederation, but the government apparently was more concerned that the protests of the dissident minority among teachers would continue to extend to sectors of the official union. Last week’s reform-related concessions essentially signaled that the entire reform is back on the negotiating table, and both official and dissident wings of the teachers’ union heard the message loud and clear.
The government is in a difficult position following the latest round as it lacks any clear path to resolve the conflict. Its best option at this point would be to try to change the conversation. That was probably one of the objectives Aurelio Nuño was pursuing as he unveiled a supposed "new model of education" last week. Concretely, the model implies a substantial reform of study plans for basic education (preschool, as well as primary and secondary school), which are to be subject to a broad process of consultations with actors in the sector (including, according to the agreement, the dissident wing of the union).

Can the government retake the initiative and broaden the discussion to include points other than teacher evaluations? Perhaps, but neither is it out of the question for the CNTE to use the consultations on the new model of education to expand and prolong the conflict. Inevitably, they will find some aspects of the new study programs objectionable (and which, from their standpoint, will reveal some sinister objectives on the part of the authorities). In short, we can expect many more rounds in this teachers’ conflict.

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