Portrait of Andrés Manuel López Obrador
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Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Education

Reverses prior reform (strong)

TL;DR

Andrés Manuel López Obrador reversed the previous administration's education reform, prioritizing expanded access over performance evaluation metrics.

Key Points

  • He repealed the 2013 Education Reform Act, which had introduced performance evaluations for teachers, in September 2019.

  • The administration introduced the “New Mexican School” proposal for the 2021-2022 school year, focusing on humanism and equity.

  • The President-elect promised to send every young person who wants to attend college, potentially requiring new institutions if the budget permitted, as of July 2018.

Summary

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, upon his election in 2018, fulfilled a key campaign promise by signing into law a bill that modified existing education legislation, which served as a "counter-reform" to the 2013 Education Reform Act. This action repealed key aspects of the prior law, particularly those related to teacher evaluations, which had been strongly opposed by teachers' unions as they limited union influence over hiring, compensation, and promotion. The new administration replaced the mechanism for evaluation with the National Commission for the Continuous Improvement of Education (MEJOREDU), which critics argue has a significantly reduced ability to assess the system.

The administration's overarching aim has been to champion a holistic view of education emphasizing humanism, equity, and national orientation, introduced via the “New Mexican School” proposal starting in the 2021-2022 school year. Furthermore, he proposed making higher education universally accessible and mandatory for the state to provide, aiming to create hundreds of new "popular" universities for low-income individuals. However, these efforts have been met with controversy, including budget cuts to existing higher education institutions and criticisms regarding the transparency and academic standards of the new university initiatives, leading to concerns about a potential decline in educational quality and a scholarly exodus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Andrés Manuel López Obrador's primary educational goal centers on expanding access to education at all levels, particularly for underserved populations. He pledged to make higher education universally accessible, which the state is now constitutionally mandated to provide space for. This focus on access contrasts with the previous administration's emphasis on teacher accountability and performance evaluation.

Yes, the president fulfilled a campaign promise by enacting a 'counter-reform' that repealed the core components of the 2013 Education Reform Act. This reversal largely aimed to dismantle teacher performance evaluations and return influence over teacher union matters. Critics argue this reversal negatively impacts educational quality and productivity.

The president proposed creating hundreds of new state-funded 'popular' universities intended to serve communities lacking higher education access. However, these projects have faced criticism regarding insufficient funding and being structured more like extension programs than full universities. Transparency on enrollment and academic standards for these new institutions remains a concern for observers.