VZCZCXRO0002
PP RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHM RUEHHO RUEHJO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHPOD
RUEHRD RUEHRS RUEHTM
DE RUEHME #1540/01 1421705
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211705Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1951
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEHXI/LABOR COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/CDR USNORTHCOM
RHMFIUU/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 001540 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR A/S SHANNON 
STATE FOR WHA/MEX, WHA/EPSC, EB/IFD/OMA, AND DRL/AWH 
STATE FOR EB/ESC MCMANUS AND IZZO 
USDOC FOR 4320/ITA/MAC/WH/ONAFTA/GERI WORD 
USDOC FOR ITS/TD/ENERGY DIVISION 
TREASURY FOR IA (ALICE FAIBISHENKO) 
DOE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS KDEUTSCH, ALOCKWOOD, GWARD 
NSC FOR RICHARD MILES, DAN FISK 
STATE PASS TO USTR (EISSENSTAT/MELLE) 
STATE PASS TO FEDERAL RESERVE (ANDREA RAFFO) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ELAB EFIN EAGR PINR PGOV MX
SUBJECT: CALDERON AND GORDILLO COOPERATE ON EDUCATION REFORM 
 
Summary and Introduction 
------------------------ 
 
¶1. (SBU) On May 15, Teacher's Day in Mexico, President 
Calderon unveiled the "Alliance for Quality Education" aimed 
at improving education quality, school infrastructure and 
teachers' skills based on five pillars: modernization of 
schools, renewal of teachers' selection and promotion 
processes, implementation of scholarships and nutritional 
programs, curriculum reform, and improvement of the national 
education system for teachers and students. The Alliance is 
part of Calderon's social strategy "Vivir Mejor" (Live 
Better) and represents the government's effort to develop a 
long-term education policy that goes beyond the current 
Administration and political interests.  The Alliance 
combines  social commitments made by the federal government, 
the local governments, and the teachers' union to improve 
education.  The question remains whether these commitments 
will translate into tangible improvements in Mexico's 
educational system. 
 
Real Reform or Political Alliance? 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Before governors, deans, cabinet members, teachers and 
legislators gathered at the National Palace, President 
Calderon, accompanied by Education Secretary Josefina 
Vazquez, Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino, and the 
President of the Teachers' Union, Elba Esther Gordillo 
presented the "Alliance for Quality Education."  Calderon 
explained that existing educational problems were the result 
of a demographic explosion, in particular the increase in 
school-aged children, which had generated severe coverage 
problems.  Although the government has made significant 
efforts to meet this group's needs, it needed to take steps 
to improve the quality of education so Mexicans would be able 
to compete successfully in a more demanding global economy. 
Calderon remarked that after several discussions with the 
teachers' union since the first day of his Administration, 
the union and the government forged an agreement to work 
together to improve Mexican education. 
 
¶3. (U) A year ago, also on Teacher's Day, Calderon called for 
the union's support in approving an education reform that 
would tackle Mexico's educational system and improve 
teachers' skills.  A year later, both actors finally reached 
an agreement to sign an "alliance," not a "reform" to improve 
the country's educational standards.  Calderon revealed a 
general education agenda based on five pillars, which focus 
mainly on improving schools' infrastructure and teachers' 
skills and knowledge.  This alliance represents a "social 
commitment" by the federal government, local governments, the 
society and the union as opposed to a binding legal 
obligation. 
 
Five Pillars of the Calderon-Gordillo Alliance 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶4. (U) President Calderon said he was glad to see that the 
five challenges for improving the educational system 
discussed by the government and the union a year ago were now 
a firm social commitment.  According to the government, this 
agenda includes the parents', the teachers', local 
authorities', academics', researchers' and the private 
sector's proposals. (Note: local press has run articles by 
academics and associations complaining about not being 
included in the discussion. End note). 
 
   --Modernization of schools, through the improvement of 
infrastructure and technology, including potable water, 
drainage, furniture, electricity, and depending on available 
budget, computers in rural and urban schools.  The government 
 
MEXICO 00001540  002 OF 002 
 
 
will give priority to 30,000 schools with the worst 
performance. 
 
   --Renewal of the teachers' selection and promotion process 
and incentives program. Teachers will be now hired or 
promoted based on the results obtained in public national 
competition and on professional merits.  The first public 
contests will be conducted before the new school cycle begins 
in August.  The government will also grant an annual economic 
incentive to those teachers who achieve an improvement in the 
educational performance of their students.  The government 
will also certify teachers once they fulfill all the 
requirements of the Superior Educational System (education 
requirements for Mexican teachers). Teachers will be 
certified in three fields: technology, English, and teaching 
skills. 
 
   --Implementation of a scholarship program to discourage 
children from quitting school due to the lack of economic 
resources.  This program will be accompanied by others to 
help children improve their health and nutritional levels. 
The program "Safe School" will be expanded to 37,000 schools 
to prevent and stop drug addiction and delinquency. 
 
  --Curriculum reform for elementary and junior high schools 
to increase Mexican students' opportunities to compete in 
equal conditions with other countries for the best jobs 
worldwide. 
 
  --Improvement of the education evaluation system. The 
government will improve the testing system and implement a 
new National Education Evaluation System to measure the 
students', teachers' and government's performance. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Calderon's announcement that the government and the 
union had reached an agreement on the steps to be taken to 
overcome the country's educational failings inspires hope, 
but it remains to be seen if these commitments translate into 
any tangible improvements in the educational system. It is 
worth noting, that this is the third pact that the leader of 
Mexico's education union Gordillo has signed with a Mexican 
President, the first being in 1993 and the second in 2002. It 
is also unclear whether the government will be able to 
implement an independent and transparent system to evaluate 
teachers and compensate them according to their skills and 
performance, and most importantly if the union will be 
willing to cede some of its control and include the poorer 
teachers in the south of Mexico in the incentive and training 
programs. The proposal is still very general and lacks 
timeframes, which makes it difficult to follow up and measure 
performance.  Hopefully, the alliance opens a window, if even 
a small one, to impro 
ve education, an important tool to alleviate poverty in 
Mexico, and it is not used by the union cynically as another 
means to reap economic and political benefits of Mexico's 
poorly managed education system.  End comment. 
 
Visit Mexico City's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/mexicocity and the North American 
Partnership Blog at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / 
GARZA