Political Risk? In Guatemala Teachers Unions Clash with Police, Fighting to Block Education Reform
By Nathaniel Parish Flannery
Updated in 10/31/2012 @ 8:26AM
Updated in 10/31/2012 @ 8:26AM
Guatemalan citizens protesting become more violent then usual whenever a bunch of citizens protested, CNN reported several dozens wounded and seven people killed as soldiers were used to open fire against defenseless citizens. Guatemala's president, Otto Perez promised not to ever use soldiers to calm down citizens by open fire and harming, also killing innocent citizens. Perez's government seeking to overhaul the country's chronically under performing public schools, teachers union and education students who are protesting new rules that would increase years of mandatory training new teachers are required to attend. A group of students took over a public school in the historic center of Guatemala City, in protest of the education reform. Thousands of teachers protest causing riots in the street of Guatemala. One problem of Guatemala is that school systems are the lowest level of academically trained teachers.
My observance is that although the weaker chain of society is protesting for rights and trying to get media attention to prove their point is very useless because if their educational system is already on the lowest grade possible then the government should hire or even train teachers to do their job. The government should aid the teachers that do not teach correctly or even sponser work shops in order for them to discuss new strategies in order to maintain some substain during teaching. This article ties in to the political life because the government is taking violent actions against innocent citizens protesting because they see that Guatemala's education system has changed since the 1990s, it still has many problems. Between 2005 and 2010, about 35% of adolescents in Guatemala never finished primary school and only 40% actually attend high school. Overall, more than one out of four Guatemalans over the age of 15 is illiterate and the government should assists those in educational needs. |