Key Figures and Relevance
On the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), and Mario Delgado Carrillo, Secretary of Public Education (SEP), signed a Collaborative Framework Agreement at the Secundaria Diurna No. 51 “Profesor Carlos Benítez Delorme” in Mexico City.
Purpose and Objectives
- This agreement marks a decisive step towards transformative education, fostering environmental consciousness in the nation’s upcoming generations.
- The pact aims to develop comprehensive environmental education with a territorial focus and cultural relevance across all educational levels, integrating interculturality, socio-environmental justice, and equality.
- It strengthens indigenous and intercultural education from a sustainability perspective, promoting community projects for reforestation, ecological restoration, and biodiversity conservation.
- The agreement also encourages water management, climate change adaptation, and acknowledges biocultural heritage as a foundational element in educational communities.
Speeches and Acknowledgements
During the ceremony, attended by students, teachers, parents, and guardians, Bárcena Ibarra emphasized the need for a new paradigm to protect natural resources, highlighting Mexico’s rich biodiversity and extensive forest cover.
Delgado Carrillo, SEP’s head, stressed that the agreement supports forming environmental consciousness in future generations, a crucial aspect of the New Mexican School (NEM) initiative led by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.
He expressed gratitude to Sheinbaum Pardo for implementing the Rita Cetina Scholarship, now including all public high school students nationwide. Delgado Carrillo also announced the upcoming Universal Benito Juárez Scholarship for Middle-Level Education, encouraging students to continue their studies without dropping out of school.
Impact and Future Outlook
This collaboration signifies Mexico’s commitment to environmental education, contributing to the well-being of current and future generations in harmony with human rights, interculturalism, ethics, and respect for biocultural heritage.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who signed the agreement? Alicia Bárcena Ibarra (SEMARNAT) and Mario Delgado Carrillo (SEP)
- What is the main objective of this collaboration? To develop comprehensive environmental education with a territorial focus and cultural relevance across all educational levels.
- What other initiatives were acknowledged during the ceremony? The Rita Cetina Scholarship for Basic Education and the upcoming Universal Benito Juárez Scholarship for Middle-Level Education.
- What does this agreement signify for Mexico’s future? It reaffirms the country’s dedication to environmental education, promoting sustainability and respect for biocultural heritage.
