In Mexico, more than 250,000 schools are on vacation break. As happens every summer, concerns arise about who will be responsible for the security of these institutions. This issue must not remain invisible on the public agenda. During the pandemic and in the period leading up to the return to school in 2021, it was reported that between 45 percent and 50 percent of schools had been vandalized during the health contingency.
This problem requires urgent attention. In the centenary of education in the country, large budgets have been allocated to the construction and maintenance of school infrastructure. Schools have reflected the political priorities and interests of each administration. They are public spaces as important as hospitals and parks, but in schools the future of the country is forged, and Mexico’s children and youth are educated. It is unacceptable that there are schools with scarce resources, such as the 26,463 that do not have electricity, the 56,109 that operate without water, the 43,558 without sinks and the 5,950 without toilets, according to data from the National Commission for the Continuous Improvement of Education (Mejoredu). Added to this is the risk of theft in those that do have certain and minimum conditions.
Schools must be witnesses of learning, teaching, hopes, dreams and possibilities. The walls, trees, benches, gardens and fields in schools reflect years of history and life. It is unacceptable that, despite the efforts of families, directors and teachers, the security of public schools is threatened by the lack of adequate measures. Few entities have shown attention during this recess, requesting support and surveillance rounds from families, teachers and municipalities. The task is monumental and the context is risky, but it is urgent to update the school safety and security regulations, which have not been revised for more than 40 years.
Two additional reflections: this federal administration commemorated the centennial of the Secretariat of Public Education. On its 90th anniversary, a compendium on school architecture was produced. What changes would be necessary in this updated text? What physical and material conditions of public schools should be reconsidered? What innovations have been implemented in school construction to adapt to the climatic and environmental conditions of the last decade? Investment in educational infrastructure has been scarce and the weakening of the National Institute of Physical Educational Infrastructure (INIFED) has gone almost unnoticed.
On the other hand, it is no secret that there are many schools with a declining educational population, with almost empty historic buildings or with inflated enrollment by students from other cities. In Puerto Rico, since 2016, questionable initiatives have been implemented in which the government has sold buildings or educational spaces to give them new uses, such as hotels or cultural centers. Is Mexico prepared to reconsider and reuse educational spaces?
In the meantime, keep an eye on the school during these months as a new school year begins. School matters because learning matters.
Source: elfinanciero
