Teacher’s Day in Mexico

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The origin of Teacher’s Day dates back to the plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies of the XXVII legislature, when the deputies Benito Ramírez García and Enrique Viesca Lobatón – who was the substitute for Aarón Sáenz Garza (Secretary of Education in 1930) – presented an initiative to that the teachers of Mexico be celebrated, honored and done justice.

The diary of the debates of the session of October 30, 1917, gave an account of the legacy that to date is surrendered to the national teaching profession. That post reads verbatim:

“The Congress of the United Mexican States decrees:

· Article 1. Teacher’s Day is declared on May 15, and school work must be suspended on that date.

· Article 2. In all schools, cultural festivities will be organized that same day, highlighting the importance and nobility of the social role of the teacher.

This resolution became a reality as of May 1918, therefore, this year we have reached the 104th celebration of Teacher’s Day.

Among others, the arguments of the proposing legislators, in favor of legalizing the celebration of the teacher, were: do justice and dignify them, pay homage and gratitude, and recognize the importance of their social mission.

It should be noted that the president of the board of directors of that H. Congress of the Union, was Eduardo Hay – by the way, a legislator for the Federal District, at that time – proposed a modification so that the date of celebration would be the first Sunday of May. , in order not to interfere with school activities when May 15 coincides with a working day. In addition, to avoid adding a new party to the many that were already held up to that moment.

At the same time, Deputy Eduardo Hay mentioned that doing it on a Sunday would give the opportunity for not only students, teachers and parents to participate in the celebration; but all the people of Mexico, to impress on Mexicans the moral and social value of the work of teachers.

Over the years, those intentions to dignify, recognize, honor, reward and thank the work of the teachers, faded away. This was not done, not only by society in general, but also by the educational authorities.

As is known, in recent years, a commemorative ceremony is held every May 15. This, because each government has its style, its empathy or even its distance from the teaching profession.

Each one of the forty-three secretaries of public education –to date– have had their own way of trying to enforce the longing of deputy Enrique Viesca, when he proclaimed: that Teacher’s Day be like the most glorious of national destinies .

Magisterial commemoration in times of pandemic

During the years 2020 and 2021, the causes that generated the pandemic had a sharp impact on school activities in educational systems, not only in Mexico, but throughout the world. A new scenario was presented and with it all the celebrations stopped.

For May 15, 2020, practically at the beginning of the pandemic, there was no opportunity to celebrate, there were no conditions and, on the contrary, a new challenge arose for the teaching profession, at all educational levels: to venture into new modalities, ways and incorporation of digital technologies to be able to provide their educational work, by distance, online, remote and virtual means.

The regeneration of educational practices had begun with the pandemic

The digital educational modalities protected and safeguarded the health of all educational actors, which at that time was the priority. On this date of celebration of Teacher’s Day 2020, the head of the SEP issued a congratulatory message at the morning conference.

By May 15, 2021, the actors in the education sector had become familiar with the incorporation of technologies in education, but unfortunately many teachers were no longer there, they had left.

The COVID-19 disease claimed many lives. A large number of teachers would not teach again, either in person or online. In 2021, there was no commemoration either, there were no conditions.

These were not times to celebrate the living, rather to honor the fallen masters. That is why it is necessary to raise some unavoidable questions about the fallen teachers in the pandemic.

How many teachers died during the pandemic? How many were given the slightest tribute in their memory? In which schools were organized to dismiss fallen teachers with honors?

These questions are elementary, but more so now that another Teacher’s Day commemoration is approaching, the 104th to be exact. What commemoration awaits the teachers for this May 15, 2022?

Proposals to pay tribute to fallen masters

To date, there is no public record of how many teachers died during the pandemic. What, if known, is how many existed in the 2020-2021 school year. The main figures of the national educational system indicate that in the school modality there was a national staff of 2,062,543 teachers, this without counting the non-school modality.

Although half a year ago I had the opportunity to present a proposal to honor fallen teachers in a subsystem, there was no echo to make it a reality. But given the importance of the social mission of the teacher, it is our duty to persevere.

That is why I take advantage of this space to share three proposals to pay tribute to the teachers fallen by COVID-19.

1. Let every fallen teacher be named in a classroom, auditorium, or even school.

2. That, in an internal ceremony in each school or university, a posthumous recognition be given to the relatives of each deceased teacher.

3. That, somewhere in Mexico City, a statue be erected in memory of the teachers who died of COVID-19.

We hope that at least one of these becomes a reality, in honor of a teacher, as we did in a school a few months ago.

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