The Master and Margarita: A Mexican Mala Educación?

All photographic evidence of meetings between Jack Abramoff and George W. Bush have been quietly disappeared. Calderón appears on the front page with Elba “The Teacher” Gordillo. The Teacher could rap the knuckles of 35 Abramoffs simultaneously without straining a facelift suture. Calderón is a Dick Morris client. What does this tell you?

“If the equipment is damaged the teacher is responsible.” Faced with that condition, some of my colleagues were confirmed in their refusal to use the “digital chalkboard.” “Better not to touch it,” they commented. –Anais Anais, Veracruz teacher

Item: La Metamorfosis…sin Kafka: DUPLA CALDERÒN-GORDILLO.

It is rarely observed that the noisy civil disobedience in the Mexican state of Oaxaca over the last year — which was put down by paramilitary gunmen in pickup trucks and [state police-issued?] bulletproof vests, cruising around taking potshots at journalists trying to cover the story — emerged from a dispute within Mexico’s national teacher’s union, controlled by Elba Esther Gordillo.

Section 22, like other, technically autonomous, SNTE locals that you do not read about, thinks the SNTE is putrid with corruption and the machine politics that made the PRI “the perfect dictatorship” for seven decades, as Mario Vargas Llosa famous described it.

As do about 90% of the SNTE rank and file, according to a recent survey. See Elba “The Teacher” Esther: The Rank and File Fester.

That meme is gaining legitimacy. On the heels of investigative reporting by Proceso and others, including El Universal — see especially Mexico: The Teacher Reaches for the Golden Apple – congressional probes and federal corruption investigations are reportedly underway:

• Megabiblioteca and Enciclomedia: Black-Box Boondoggles?
• Teacher’s Fret? Elba Esther Under Investigation
• Mexico: Computerization of Rural Secondary Education Studied

Just to remind you of the details of the alleged misuse of federal matching funds and grants related to the education tech program (Mexico: The Teacher Reaches for the Golden Apple):

“She has used union dues in the past, but now I think she will use public funds, as she did last year, when she used 900 million pesos that President Vicente Fox injected into the the three funds that The Teacher runs — the housing fund (VIMA), the fund for technology training of teachers, and the teachers’ retirement fund — which she channeled into the campaigns of PANAL candidates and the campaign of Calderón,” Rivera reports.

In Brazil, they would call this sort of thing a caixa dois, or “slush-fund” money-laundering, scheme.

Gordillo’s widely alleged Pharaonic corruption and Calderón’s political debt to The Teacher pose a conundrum for those who are trying to convince you that Felipe “I will not vote for FOBAPROA” Calderón is a suprisingly effective technocrat and paragon of public morality. See Autohagiography By Proxy: “The Surprising Competence of Calderón the Nerd.”

The blogger Anais Anais — the pseudonym refers to the mutant Marvel Comics character, and not to the perfume brand that has apparently paid to occupy the first 1,000 search results on Google for the phrase — recently looked at the most visible expression of the Calderón-Gordillo nexus: educational reform and Microsoft’s Enciclomedia “digital chalkboard” program for Mexican schools (Enciclomedia’s Shining Example).

I translate.

Felipe Calderón definió cinco “grandes frentes” de su propuesta de reforma educativa:

Calderón has defined five “broad fronts” in his education reform program:

1.- Mejorar la infraestructura de los planteles.- Ante la experiencia vivida el 3 de Mayo en Fortìn de las Flores Veracruz, donde padres de familia, maestros y niños se inconformaron por la falta de apoyo del presidente municipal (ver nota abajo “Polìtico de Foto”) Debe quedar perfectamente claro para los gobernantes y para el Pueblo que las escuelas son responsabilidad de TODOS. El gobierno Federal, Estatal y Municipal deben contribuìr para mejorar la infraestructura de las escuelas de este paìs. No nos hacen un favor, hacen su trabajo.

Improve infrastructure — given the experience of May 3 in Fortin de las Flores, in Veracruzy, in which parents, teachers and students protested the lack of support from the mayor … it ought to be perfectly clear to the authorities and the People that schools are the responsibility of EVERYONE. The federal, state and city governments must contribute to improving the infrastructure of the schools in this country. Don’t do us favors, just do your jobs.

Money for the Enciclomedia program reportedly drained money out of new school construction.

2.- Promover tecnologías educativas de vanguardia, para que la internet, la telefonía móvil y el uso intensivo de computadoras estén al servicio de la educación.- Lankshear Y Knobel llaman “nuevas alfabetizaciones” al uso de las NTICs (Nuevas Tecnologìas de la Informaciòn y la Comunicaciòn). Hace algunos años, era “analfabeta” aquel que no sabìa leer y escribir. Hoy en dìa el tèrmino es aplicable tambièn a aquellos que no conocen ni entienden los usos de la tecnologìa y màs allà, de la tecnologìa aplicada a la educaciòn.

2 — Promote cutting-edge educations technological that will put the Internet, mobile telephony and the intensive use of computers at the service of education … Some years ago, an “illiterate” was someone who did not know how to read and rite. Nowadays the term also applies to those who do not understand how to use technology, and more than that, technology applied to education.

The Enciclomedia program reportedly lacked technical support and teacher training, and published substandard materials.

El reto aquì es pensar que esto serà llevado a las aulas ùnicamente por decreto presidencial. ¿Què hacer con los docentes que en su vida se han acercado [sic] a una computadora? Para muesta, ENCICLOMEDIA, uno de los màs grandes fracasos de la administraciòn Foxista, con una cuenta legal millonaria pendiente de la distribuidora DELL por incumplimiento de contrato. ¿Què sucediò con Enciclomedia? Algunas cuestiones que puedo narrar desde mi experiencia son:

The trick here is understanding how this will be translated to the classroom merely by presidential decree. What to do with teachers who have [never[ been near a computer in their lives. For example, ENCICLOMEDIA, one of the grandest failures of the Fox administration, which has a multimillion[-dollar?] legal obligation to DELL for breach of contract. What happened to ENCICLOMEDIA?

DELL wants to get paid, whether the damn things worked or not.

According to the BBC, the program is the best thing since sliced silicon: See BBS: The Beeb 2.0 Touts Enciclomedia.

I can think of no better example of “public interest” journalism — on the taxpayer’s schilling, no less — contaminated by the crassest of pure flackery.

a).- La retiscencia magisterial a usar el equipo. Docentes que nunca habìan usado una computadora, no quisieron comenzar su experiencia con enciclomedia. En otros casos, la poca experiencia informàtica y/o la nula voluntad de actualizarse, reafirmaron el rechazo a usar enciclomedia en clase.

(a) Teachers’ reluctance to use the equipment — Teacher who have never used a computer do not want to start learning with Enciclomedia. In other cases, their scant experience and/or lack of desire to update their skills have reinforced their refusal to use the “digital chalkboard” in class.

b).- Instalaciòn del equipo en zonas serranas sin luz ni telèfono y/0 con condiciones climàticas extremas que dañaban el equipo. No habìa las condiciones materiales en algunas zonas para su implementaciòn y aùn asì se instalò el equipo.

(b) Installation of the equipment in mountains regions without electricity or telephones and/or with extreme climates that damage the equipment. The material conditions did not exist in some zones to implement the program, and yet the equipment was installed there.

Often, allegedly, to be sold out the back door soon later. See Veracruz: Black Market in Digital Chalkboards.

c).- Las mùltiples condiciones de uso. “Si el equipo se daña, es responsabilidad del docente” ante lo cual, se reafirmò el rechazo de algunos colegas a usar el equipo- “mejor ni lo toco”- comentaban.

(c) Multiple conditions on its use. “If the equipment is damaged the teacher is responsible.” Faced with that condition, some of my colleagues were confirmed in their refusal to use the “digital chalkboard.” “Better not to touch it,” they commented.

d).- En el extremo, me tocò presenciar el abuso. Docentes que consideraban a enciclomedia no el medio sino el fin de su clase. No quedò claro que esta iniciativa es solamente una herramienta màs del docente. Enciclomedia no suple al maestro ni guìa a los alumnos en su proceso de construcciòn de conocimiento. Sin embargo, tambièn se cayò en el abuso del mismo.

(d) In the extreme, I want to bear witness to the abuse. Teachers who considered Enciclomedia, not a a means, but as the end, of their classroom instruction. It is not clear at all that this program is just one more teaching tool. Enciclomedia does not stimulate the teacher or guide students in their process of constructing knowledge. However, it has certainly contributed to the abuse of that process.

Pareciera ahora, con las palabras del señor presidente, que el acercamiento a la tecnologìa no tiene nada que ver con el programa de enciclomedia. No se le toma como punto de partida y ya ni digamos como punto de referencia. De hecho, ni Calderòn ni Vàzquez Mota han hecho comentario alguno a ese respecto. ¿Se retomarà con enciclomedia el hilo rector que promueva el uso de las NTICs? ò ¿Se implementaràn “nuevos programas” para lo mismo? El presidente parece olvidar que el primero que debe usar estas tecnologìas es el docente, puesto que es èl quien las lleva a la pràctica frente al grupo. Me parece que no se ha aprendido de los errores pasados. Si no se aprende de la experiencia de enciclomedia, esta iniciativa es el nudo borromeo que da vuelta en cìrculos sin resolver el problema del acercamiento a las tecnologìas educativas de vanguardia, tan necesarias para la competitividad en todos los àmbitos de este paìs.

It might seem now, with the words of our president, that promiting technological literacy had nothing to do with the Enciclomedia program. It is not taken as a point of departure or as what we might call a benchmark. In fact, neither Calderón or his education secretary has said a single word on the subject. Will they renew the educational thread that promotes the use of “new educational technologies” in the program? The president seems to forget that the first person who needs to learn the new technology is the teacher, given that the teacher has to operate it for the benefit of the class. It seems to me that past errors have not been learned from. If nothing is learned from the Enciclomedia experience, this project [will continue to] travel in circles without resolving the problem of [technological literacy], which are so necessary to the competitiveness of our nation.

3.- Vincular la enseñanza con las necesidades productivas del país.- No es un secreto que las polìticas educativas son dictadas en gran parte por el FMI (Fondo Monetario Internacional) como parte de las condiciones mediàticas para la otorgaciòn de prèstamos al paìs. La preguntas que considero pertinentes al respecto son: ¿A què responde èsta inciativa, a los verdaderamente urgentes problemas educativos al vincularse con el aparato productivo del paìs O a la necesidad de tècnicos y operarios dictada por las polìticas del FMI? Me gustarìa escucharlo de motu propio de la Secretaria de Educaciòn, Josefina Vàzquez Mota.

3. Tying instruction to the economic needs of Mexico — It is no secret that our educational policies are dictated in large part by the IMF as part of the mediagenic conditions for loaning money to Mexico. The questions I consider relevant are as follows: What does this project have to do with: The real and urgent problems of tying education to the needs of the Mexican economy? Or the needs of technocrats and unions, a dictated by the IMF? I would like the secretary of education to answer that one [without looking at the TelePromTer.]

4.- Evaluar de manera permanente y objetiva la educación.- ¿Còmo? ¿Como “Carrera Magisterial”? ¿Como “ENLACE”? ¿Quièn confìa en una evaluaciòn objetiva de “maestros” que considera “flojos” “grillos” y “burros” entre otros adjetivos calificativos que utiliza la sociedad para describir a los docentes que luchan por sus derechos, cuando es esta misma sociedad la que deberìa estar apoyàndolos (ver “¿dia del maestro?” en artìculo de este blog)

4. An ongoing and objective evaluation of education — How? How with the “Teaching Career” program? How with “ENLACE”? Who trusts the objectivity of evaluations by “teachers” whom society describes, with words like “weak,” ["no-work patronage recipients"], and “stupid,” who are only fighting for their rights, when society ought to be supporting them … ?

5.- Promover el ejercicio de la libertad, la construcción de la ciudadanía y la promoción de la competitividad.- En eso, coincido con Calderòn. Es en la escuela donde se forma al ciudadano que el estado requiere. Sin la escuela, no es posible el Estado, porque un pueblo sin educaciòn, no tiene futuro. Calderòn dice què harà….pero no dice còmo. ¿Còmo conseguirà lo anterior?

5. Promote the exercise of freedom, the construction of citizenship and the promotion of competitiveness — On this point, I agree with Calderón. It is in school that the citizenship that the State demands is formed. Without school, the State is not possible, because a people without education have no future. Calderón says there will be … but he does not say how. How will this be achieved?

Through the largesse of Carlos Slim and Bill Gates?

Calderòn admitió que para concretar la reforma se requiere del gremio magisterial. Elba Esther Gordillo dio un espaldarazo al Presidente, al asegurar: “Los que estamos aquí y los que no están le decimos: estamos con usted por la búsqueda del futuro y el presente de nuestro país”

Calderón admitted that to put reform into practice, the teacher’s union is needed. Gordillo gave the president a show of support, saying “We here and those who are not hear says, We are with you in the search for the future and the present of our nation.”

Retomando la frase del periòdico “Milenio” :¿Será suficiente la dupla Calderón-Gordillo para reformar la educación en México? …evidentemente no. La educaciòn se reforma desde las bases, no desde la cùpula. La transacciòn SNTE (prometo no “grillas” ni huelgas) SEC (necesidad de reformas estructurales) corre el riesgo de ser superada por la realidad de este paìs.

Repeating the phrase from the Milenio newspaper: Will the Calderón-Gordillo pairing be enough to reform Mexican education? Obviously not. Educational reform comes from the base, not from the top. The deal with the SNTE (promising no patronage jobs or strikes) over the SEC (the need for structural reforms) runs the risk of being overtaken by Mexican reality.

Publicado por Anais Anais en 7:01

Anais Anais is actually Anel Montero of Veracruz, an architect and licensed elementary schoolteacher. Her traffic counter registers only 192 hits, and yet she still takes the time to register her thoughts on the matter.

May the blog gods bless and keep her from the demon blogola.

“Without it, life would be hell on earth.” Microtec advertisement, Veja magazine (Brazil), issue 87. File under “the rhetoric of the technological sublime (RTS) in postmodern technology PR, Velvet Elvis tendency.”

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