The CSP-Conlutas participates of the International Solidarity Campaign with the Mexican teachers struggling against the government’s attacks to Education and suffering retaliations.
By CSP-Conlutas – Brazil.
The most recent counter-offensive by the SEP [Public Education Secretariat] in Mexico was to announce 21 more dismissals on Monday 3rd and more than 300 dismissal notifications threatening the strikers that stopped activities for over three days on July.
This attack initiates a new moment of conflicts in scholar zones, mainly in the ones under retaliation by the government.
Four schools were the first ones to be attacked, in this new moment. The one on the 5th section, Flores Magon, in Thláhuac; the one on the 3rd section, in Alfredo E. Uruchurtu, in Pueblo Nuevo Magdalena; the one on the 2nd section, José López Portillo y Rojas, in Iztapalapa; and the one on the 11th section, in Misterios. The 9th section, were it works the leader of CNTE, Francisco Bravo, is also in the target.
During the Encounter of Education Workers, on September 29, 30 and October 1st, in Mexico, the CSP-Conlutas committed to drive a strong solidarity campaign in Brazil, and extend it to the countries members of the International Labour Network Solidarity.
“Since the last meeting of the National Coordination of the Central, on August 19, 20 and 21, it was approved to surround this strike and the struggle against the repression to Mexican teachers with solidarity”, states the leader of the Executive National Secretariat [SEN] of CSP-Conlutas, Joaninha Oliveira, who was present in both Encounters in Mexico, together with the leaders Eblin Farage, president of Andes-SN [National Union of Superior Education Professors] and also of the SEN, and João Zafalão, from the São Paulo Alternative Opposition, among others.
Destruction of Education
In Mexico, since 2013 the government works with a proposal of changes for public education. This reform foresees the closure of schools, dismissal of teachers, privatization of schools and wage differentiation by merit.
This is a strike than started at the beginning of the year, facing a harsh repression that could not, however, destroy the workers’ strength.
“This Project, trying to destroy public education in Mexico, also attacking the public and state services and the social security, does not exist only in Mexico; it is international, and we must unite to impede its implementation”, adds Joaninha.
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Translation: Sofia Ballack.