Strengthening Priorities for Healthy Habits and Addiction Prevention
Mario Delgado Carrillo, the Secretary of Public Education (SEP), announced 10 key commitments to establish the New Mexican School (NEM) nationwide. These efforts aim to ensure educational and health rights for children, adolescents, and young adults by transforming schools into spaces promoting healthy habits and preventing addictions.
Key Commitments:
- Expand the Universal Rita Cetina Scholarship: Increase coverage to more students in basic education.
- Maintain the Vive Saludable, Vive Feliz strategy: Provide support to 100% of primary school children.
- Continue efforts to avoid returning unhealthy food: Demonstrate that healthy eating can be enjoyable.
- Increase resources for La Escuela es Nuestra (LEEN) program: Benefit more basic and upper-secondary schools.
- Promote the National Bachillerato: Ensure no young person is left out of this new educational experience.
- Support the construction and renovation of schools: Open 40,000 additional educational spaces.
- Launch the online educational platform Universidad para Todos la Vida: Facilitate access to higher education.
- Open eight new campuses of the National Rosario Castellanos University: Expand educational opportunities.
- Strengthen youth protection against drugs and addictions: Provide clear messages in classrooms.
- Consult school-by-school on teacher hiring, promotion, and tenure rules: Continue transforming the School Technical Councils into learning communities.
IMSS Director’s Contribution to Health Initiatives
Zoé Robledo Aburto, the General Director of the Institute of Social Security (IMSS), emphasized the significance of the Health Days initiative, the first of its kind in Mexico. These efforts have resulted in digital school records for every child involved, ensuring comprehensive clinical histories for future medical needs.
- Health Days Initiative: Visited 27,409 schools out of a target 90,000, assessing nearly 4 million primary students.
- Weight status: 18.5% overweight, 13.5% underweight, and 49.7% within the normal range.
- Dental health advancements: Implemented toothbrushing techniques, fluoride applications, and distributed 3.48 million toothbrushes.
SEP Reports Progress in Educational Programs
Julio César León Trujillo, the National Coordinator of Becas para el Bienestar (CNBB), reported on the progress of various educational scholarship programs:
- Universal Rita Cetina Scholarship: 99% advancement, covering 8.67 million basic education beneficiaries.
- Universal Benito Juárez Scholarship: 91% advancement, benefiting 4.65 million upper secondary education students.
- Jóvenes Escribiendo el Futuro: 99% coverage, assisting 409,409 higher education students.
Pamela López Ruiz, LEEN’s head, detailed the program’s first-semester achievements:
- Supported 63,252 basic education schools with a 17.62 billion-peso investment.
- For the first time, also supported 6,500 upper secondary schools with a 4.43 billion-peso investment.
- Announced full coverage of upper secondary schools by 2026 and an additional 2.5 billion-peso disbursement starting September.
Alma Herrera Márquez, the rector of the National Rosario Castellanos University, reported a current enrollment of 80,158 students, with 22,000 newcomers. The university aims to reach over 200,000 students by 2030.
Gabriel Cámara Cervera, Conafe’s General Director, highlighted the importance of transforming School Technical Councils (CTE) into learning and feedback spaces for teachers. CTEs are crucial in planning, implementing, and evaluating educational strategies driven by the Mexican government.
Rosario Sánchez Ramos, coordinator of the Vive Saludable, Vive Feliz strategy, reported on the first phase’s accomplishments:
- Conducted over 4 million health assessments in 16 weeks through 738 brigades.
- Highlighted the participation of all 32 federal entities, particularly Chiapas and Puebla.
- Planned to complete primary school coverage in subsequent phases, targeting 11.8 million assessments by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Gisela Victoria Salinas Sánchez, Strategic Institutional Coordinator, emphasized the ongoing support for the Peace and Against Addictions campaign. She announced the upcoming event on November 8 and highlighted the impact of Reading Marathons, which garnered 83,000 online visits. Starting the next school cycle, Reading Marathons will be linked to the civic calendar.
Mónica Rojas Sánchez, head of the Equity and Educational Excellence Promotion Unit, introduced the strategy for applying the Integrative Learning Exercises 2024-2025. This assessment will evaluate progress across various fields in over 7,200 educational centers at pre-school, primary, and secondary levels between September 22 and October 3.
