Frontera NorteSur, September 1999

Migration To Be Building Block Of Border Education

The National Migration Institute (INM) of México recently presented a new program to assist in giving foreign education personnel the opportunity to study and work in México's higher education institutions as a means of improving the cultural and scientific development of the nation.

Ricardo Vásquez Santiestean, a regional delegate of INM, said that a major objective of the proposal for the National Migratory Regulation Program is to take advantage of the migratory nature of the country and foster the cultural flow that will inevitably enhance the nation.

The first phase of the program is to join the higher education institutions to share their diverse aspects, which was accomplished in the August 6 conference held at the International Water Maintenance (CILA) hall.

The second phase of the program, and according to Vásquez the most difficult, will be to join the academic personnel and students at the INM in order to meet the requirements for obtaining the immigration papers to establish their status in the country.

Source: El Diario

North Zone Gets New Educational Officials

In late July it was announced that three new officials would work in the education system of the North Zone of Cd. Juárez. Along with the officials the school system can look forward to more than seven hundred thousand dollars in infrastructure improvements.

According to Arturo Proal de la Isla, the secretary of education and culture for the State of Chihuahua, Humberto Morales Moreno will be the general director of education in the North Zone while Salvador Mendoza will be in charge of the department of regional services, and Abelardo Loya will be the new coordinatore of education in the North Zone.

The school system can also look forward to the construction of 157 new classrooms, 15 labs, 10 shops and 126 additions to existing schools at all levels including post secondary. The directors will be overseeing the application of these resources.

Additionally, the infrastructure resources may also be used towards a proposal by Miguel Angel Calderón of Canacintra (Mexican Chamber of Commerce) to develop education centers in 300 maquiladoras in the city.

According to De la Isla, "There re 110 thousand people in Cd. Juárez over the age of 15 that do not have a primary education and 240 thousand that have not finished secondary school. This represents a risk to the entire state of Chihuahua."

Fifty thousand immigrants arrive in the border city each year and current resources are still not enough to handle this incredible influx. "The North Zone of the state is highest on the education priority list," said De la Isla.

The director announced that four schools are being built in colonias.

Source: El Norte