Mexican Armed Forces deliver new textbooks to marginalized schools

Soldiers, marines, and pilots

from the Mexican Armed Forces have agreed to guard and transport free government textbooks for the 2018-2019 school cycle to difficult access areas and zones that have been affected by weather phenomena in Mexico.

As part of the commitment undertaken by the Ministries of National Defense (SEDENA), and Navy (SEMAR) , as well as the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) , the collaboration aims to protect and transport the textbooks to marginalized areas.

The heads of each of the government bodies: Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda (SEDENA), Vidal Francisco Soberón Sanz (SEMAR), and Otto Granados Roldán (SEP) , signed the agreement at a military institution in Mexico City .

The agreement states that Mexico’s Armed Forces are to provide the necessary vehicles for the transport of free government textbooks and other education materials, as well as security and patrol services during said activities.

Public textbooks in indigenous languages

Cienfuegos Zepeda assured that the Armed Forces took it as a personal commitment to guarantee every Mexican’s right to receive quality education.

“ The right to an education is a fundamental aspect for the development of nations . Mexico has made significant achievements in the past few years, such as the increase in basic schooling coverage, which represents a significant step forward in the implementation of public policies regarding education,” he stated.

Soberón Sanz mentioned that a society with opportunities should be prepared for challenges, stressing his commitment to transport all necessary textbooks and education materials wherever they may be needed.

Granados Roldán commented that, only a month away from the beginning of the 2018-2019 school cycle, almost 187 million government textbooks have been delivered to more than 600 regional stores and collection points , out of all the 212 million volumes that have been printed so far .

The Public Education Secretary added that the new text books will enter into force in two phases: During the 2018-2019 school cycle, a catalog of 334 new education materials for preschool, first and second years of primary school, and first year of high school will be delivered . The second phase will begin during the 2019-2020 cycle, when new materials for third, fourth, fifth, and sixth year of primary school, as well as books meant for students of first and second year of high school will be shipped to schools all over the country.

Granados Roldán pointed out that “the design and edition of these new education materials was led by teachers, experts, and professional pedagogues from each of the disciplines taught, upholding high education standards while maintaining curricular relevance and editorial pertinence.”

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