Mejoredu Urges Dialogue with SEP Amidst Concerns Over Extinction Process

The Comisión Nacional para la Mejora de la Educación (Mejoredu), the national commission for continuous improvement of education, is actively seeking a direct line of communication with Mario Delgado, the Secretary of Public Education (SEP), as the agency faces imminent extinction. According to a recent report by Alma Paola Wong of Grupo Milenio, the commission is prioritizing a smooth transition for its employees and a clear understanding of the procedures involved. This request underscores growing anxieties surrounding the planned dissolution of Mejoredu, as mandated by recent constitutional reforms aimed at streamlining governmental bodies (Wong, 2024).

Addressing Labor Rights and Resource Transfer

In a formal letter submitted to the SEP this past Thursday, Silvia Valle Tépatl, the presiding commissioner of the Board of Directors, alongside Florentino Castro López, another commissioner, voiced their concerns. The core of their plea revolves around initiating a roundtable discussion to carefully examine the implications of Mejoredu’s extinction, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding the labor rights of its workforce. The letter explicitly mentions the importance of clarifying how the commission’s human resources will be integrated into the Secretaría de Educación Pública, which is slated to inherit Mejoredu’s responsibilities (Tépatl & López, 2024).

«We are directing ourselves to you to solicit in a respectful way, as we have done in previous opportunities, a work reunion to dialogue about the extinction process of the Comisión Nacional para la Mejora Continua de la Educación (Mejoredu)», the letter states, reflecting the urgency and gravity of the situation.

Constitutional Mandate and the Need for Clarity

The directive for Mejoredu’s extinction stems from a decree published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on December 20, 2024. This decree outlines amendments and repeals to various provisions of the Mexican Constitution, all geared towards organic simplification. While the decree mandates the eventual extinction, the specifics of the transition remain unclear. According to Wong (2024), Article 2 of the decree stipulates that Congress must make the necessary legal adjustments, and the Federal Executive must issue the corresponding extinction decree. The absence of these actions is fueling uncertainty and prompting Mejoredu to push for immediate dialogue.

The direct communication will address the labor rights of workers, as well as the terms under which the human resources of the Commission will become part of the Ministry of Public Education as the public entity that will assume its powers.

Ensuring a Humane and Transparent Transition

Mejoredu’s leadership stresses the importance of a respectful and transparent process, emphasizing that open communication can lead to a more seamless transition. They highlight the principles of humanism, legality, and transparency championed by President Claudia Sheinbaum as guiding stars for this undertaking. The goal, as articulated in their letter, is to ensure that the extinction process is conducted in a manner that respects the rights and well-being of all affected employees (Tépatl & López, 2024).

Prioritizing Workers' Rights

The leaders are highlighting the importance of ensuring the dignity and legal certainty of workers during this period of transition.

The Future of Education Oversight

The disappearance of Mejoredu raises pertinent questions about the future of educational oversight and improvement in Mexico. As the SEP prepares to absorb Mejoredu’s functions, there is a growing need for clarity regarding how these responsibilities will be managed and whether the same level of attention and resources will be dedicated to continuous educational improvement. The dialogue sought by Mejoredu represents an effort to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities and a sustained focus on enhancing the quality of education nationwide.

The team is waiting on the response of Mario Delgado, reiterateing the disposition to the dialogue and the joint work to contribute to this transcendental change for the education of the country.

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