Thursday, September 22, 2011

[CE] Drug Violence Hits Mexican Education



This video reminded me of the video that Mr. Sutherland showed us in class during the first week of school. Apparently since then the issue has worsened dramatically. Around five thousand teachers in Mexico have gone on strike because they feel threatened and unsafe to continue teaching. Schools in Acapulco have been shut down for over a month and show no signs of opening back up anytime soon. Teachers are on strike and are protesting in the streets for some legal action to be taken to ensure their safety.  Teachers feel that they are being targeted by drug gangs and are receiving death threats from the gangs if they don’t give up half their salaries. There have been three deaths so far and multiple kidnappings.

Teachers fear for their lives and are pleading with the government to keep the schools safe for them and their students. However, the chief prosecutor denies the problem in Mexico and insists that it is a gross exaggeration. Personally I think it is ridiculous that the prosecutor would even suggest that the drug violence in schools does not really exist or affect the teachers. Until this problem is solved or at least minimized, children in Mexico will not be able to receive a decent education. Schools will continue to shut down if more and more teachers are too scared to show up to work. The government needs to intervene immediately in order to allow the schools to be a safe environment for students and teachers or else the school system will continue in its downward spiral.


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