English

Mexico’s new education reform enters into force

Teachers' rights will be protected and not subject to restrictions or retroactive modifications

The General Law for Professional Teaching Services will be abrogated, as well as the provisions included in its secondary laws - Photo: Mario Jasso/CUARTOSCURO.COM
16/05/2019 |11:59Misael Zavala |
Redacción El Universal
Pendiente este autorVer perfil

Mexico’s new education reform

, promoted by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador , was published in yesterday’s afternoon edition of the Federal Official Gazette , establishing some modifications to articles 3, 31, and 73 of the Constitution.

With the entry into force of the aforementioned legal provisions, education workers’ labor rights will be governed by Article 123 of the constitution, subsection B.

Newsletter
Recibe en tu correo las noticias más destacadas para viajar, trabajar y vivir en EU

Based on this decree, the admission, promotion, and acknowledgment of teachers in Mexico will obey the System’s Regulatory Law for the Career Development of Teachers , though prevailing the State rectory.

Moreover, the General Law for Professional Teaching Services will be abrogated, as well as the provisions included in its secondary laws. All general regulations, agreements, and dispositions derived from this general law will be rendered void.

Furthermore, until the Congress of Union issues legislation regarding the System for the Career Development of Teachers, all evaluations will be suspended and the provisions empowering the National Coordination for Professional Teaching Services at Mexico’s Ministry of Public Education will remain in place.

The reform establishes that the rights acquired by teachers will be protected and not subject to restrictions or retroactive modifications.

All provisions affecting the permanence of teachers in their posts, which are included in the General Law for Professional Teaching Services, will also be rendered void.

In its fourth article, López Obrador’s education reform establishes that the Law of the National Institute for the Evaluation of Teachers will be abolished, as well as all provisions included in its secondary laws.

In 2020 at the latest, Mexico’s Congress of Union will have to issue General Laws with regard to Higher Education and Science, Technology, and Innovation.

Congress will also have to issue reforms to the corresponding secondary legislation within 120 days of the publication of the decree.

Meanwhile, state legislatures will have a year to adapt the legal framework in the field.

Until the Senate designates a Board of Directors , and following transitory article nine, the former head of the National Institute’s Administration Unit for the Evaluation of Teachers will be named Administration Coordinator.

dm