WHY MEXICO, CHAPTER 4

Why does the education system in Mexico produce low-cost labor? Why did school teachers lose authority over their students forty years ago? Why in 1972, the teachings of civic responsibility disappeared from school programs? Why did Mexico cancel its participation in the Industrial Revolution? Why in modern Mexico most of the industrial facilities are foreign investments?

SUBCULTURE OF DEFEAT

(Background/ Implication in Mexican Culture/ Future)

BACKGROUND OF THE SUBCULTURE OF DEFEAT

   The Spanish conquerors of the sixteenth century were allowed to have many children out of wedlock.

   These bastards became second class among the inhabitants of New Spain. They were not accepted by the elite of the “peninsulares” (born in Spain), those of “pure blood” born in Mexico (criollos), and the legitimate mestizos.

   They could not improve their lives by using their skills and effort.

   Such a fate became the hallmark of the subculture of defeat.

   The group grew in number with native relatives willing to join the new nation, who moved to the Spanish settlements.

   That was the origin of the Subculture of Defeat that provided the Colonial settlements with a cheap labor force.

   When Mexico became an independent nation, the group began to have social mobility. One of them, a native of pure blood, became President of the Republic.

   For many years, the education system implemented in the early twentieth century, helped reverse the growing rate of defeat subculture until the end of that century, and then became a machine that produces defeated people.

   The terrible disaster in which education in Mexico became, draws my attention when making a comparison between the history that is taught in schools and what I learned in books, newspapers and museums.

   The history before the revolution does not show important differences, from there, there are many.

   The politicians of the Revolution documented the story to justify themselves, and their successors repeat it to fit in with the group that gives them access to the privileges they enjoy.

   The scoundrels who wrote so many lies and those who repeated them did not do enough to prevent the truth from being recorded in newspapers, or in the declarations and speeches of the political opponents.

   Discovering so many twisted or hidden historical events gave me surprise, joy, and anger. I also discovered that the educational system was working not only to hide the truth but also to diminish the possibility of a collective awakening.

  Below we will find a brief account of the evolution of the educational system from the colony to the 21st century.

   In the XVIII century, before the Industrial Revolution, Jean-Baptiste de la Salle launched in France, the first educational system designed for the people. Later, his followers developed the Simultaneous Teaching System that used the premise of de la Salle: “all men are the same and thus have the same learning potential”.

   In Europe the demand of workers grew with the Industrial Revolution. But they had to be taught to read and write.

   Simultaneous Teaching calls for small groups, so the challenge could not be met.

   The Lancaster educational system made it possible for a single teacher, with the help of monitors (students helping others), to teach two hundred children.

   Agustin de Iturbide implemented the Lancaster’s System in Mexico. He did it not because of the needs of the Industry, but to provide basic education to the many children who did not have access to it during the colony.

   Sixty years later, Enrique Rébsamen Egloff, a Swiss educator, opened two teacher training schools (normal schools) in the Mexican state of Veracruz, to promote an educational system that he developed. Given his success, Porfirio Diaz asked Rébsamen to open normal schools in many scattered parts of the country.

   The most important characteristics of the Rébsamen education system are:

1.     Simultaneous and based on the ideas of De la Salle.

2.     Hierarchic supervision as follows: Inspector, Director, Teacher, Students.

3.     Education must conform to the evolution of the student, both the mind and the body.

4.     Education must cover all aspects (including spiritual growth)

5.     It should awaken the interest of the student.

6.     Teachers should know, practice and teach civic responsibility.

7.     Teachers should be aware of how politics influences the economy (Rébsamen used the term Political Economy)

   Diaz’s approach to education was successful, Mexico benefited from many well educated and proactive generations that pushed up the economy before and after the Revolution.

   Scientists, artists, writers, philosophers, and diplomats, gave Mexico world wide recognition.

   Then at the end of the twentieth century, when Mexico was beginning the recovery of its industry, the student movement of 1968 gave a pretext to replace the Rébsamen Education System with one proposed by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

   Luis Echeverria, president of the Republic at the time, presented the new system as an Education Plan for Democratization.

   This system works as follows.

1.     Teachers must follow a study guide and complete detailed reports of all teaching activities and the performance of each student.

2.     School principals and supervisors must also submit detailed reports and charts of their activities.

3.     All reports and charts are sent to the Ministry of Education, “to be evaluated later”

4.     Teachers spend more time presenting reports and graphics than helping students develop their spirit.

5.     No matter the performance, all students move on to the next grade (This practice cancels teacher authority and shows students that the non-compliance has no consequences).

6.     Teachers should awaken students’ interest and proactivity (without authority or time, the task is difficult).

7.     The programs of study do not include the teachings of civic responsibility.

8.     Teachers are not required to be aware of how politics influence economy.

   The quality of education decreased and the international institutes that survey the well-being of children have been reporting year after year, the regrettable results of the educational system in Mexico.

   In 2018 the government made changes to the teacher union agreement. The educational system was maintained as described.

   Currently (2019), government officials insist on the need for a new Education System. That is encouraging, as long as it includes the reconsideration of Rébsamen System.

   The problem will not be solved if teachers don't have the authority to guide children to commit with their personal success.

   Inspectors, directors and teachers must stop presenting reports and tables to apply all the efforts and skills to do their job.

   If these changes are not made, there will be no changes at all.

   Cheap education produces defeated people.

   After two hundred years of freedom, the subculture of defeat is being reinvented through a cheap educational system.

   As those defeated by the Conquest, those who are now defeated by education, bear on their shoulders the economic growth of Mexico, they, accepting to be exploited, have built the Country, because being "defeated" means being willing to be useful to deserve survival. Because being "defeated" has given Mexicans the strength to endure the unjust treatment that was not canceled by either Independence or the Revolution.

INVOLVEMENT OF THE SUBCULTURE OF DEFEAT IN MEXICAN CULTURE

   This subculture has been very influential in Mexican labor behavior and has changed with the economy models used.

   During the colony, economic activities required office workers and peasants. Office workers received salaries, the peasants paid harvest taxes or personal services (servants, nannies, etc.).

   Independence gave the natives access to education, as long as they had a sponsor to answer for any inconvenience they might cause.

   Maximilian I, considered the industrialization of Mexico an urgent matter. His short and hectic reign did not give him any opportunity in that regard.      

   The first inauguration of Porfirio Diaz was in 1876; by then, the Industrial Revolution, initiated in England almost one hundred years earlier, was driving the popular economy in Europe and the north of the United States.

   Diaz began the industrialization of Mexico by rounding up a project outlined by Maximilian. Factory workers began to appear in the labor scene.

   Given that the return on investment in the industry is longer than that of agriculture, very few Mexicans were attracted to take part, so Diaz invited foreign investors.

   In the 19th century, administration across the ocean was not workable. Directors and owners of all types of industries move from Europe to Mexico along with their families, creating links with the country and its future.

   Investors from U.S.A. acted different. They stayed at home and made no extra commitments.

   Porfirio Diaz, was astute, gave Europe more opportunities than the United States.

   After the Civil War, the industry of the United States was readjusting and the Mexican industry became its competitor throughout the world.

   Under Diaz, Mexican economy had a high growth rate.

   The rail network expanded to be larger than that of the United States, in a less extensive territory.

   The Mexican Revolution destroyed most of the industry and banished foreign investment.

   After that drama, the railroad company resisted the atrocious post revolutionary administration until the last quarter of the twentieth century.

   Industrial facilities began to reappear in the 1940's with an overwhelming presence of foreign capital, most of the U.S., all with decision centers in their countries of origin.

   Once this review of the development of the industry is made, let us discuss the Sub-culture of the defeat, which provides the necessary labor force.

   The subculture of the defeat is related to Mexican Culture in three scenarios.

1.     Labor. Provides low-wage workers committed to be useful.

2.     Syndicate. Strengthen Unions with passive members.

3.     The policy. The members of this subculture are the decisive majority; they thirst for justice and are willing to believe any promise. Politicians expect to have their vote.

   Finally for this section, the best conclusion but not the happiest one is.

   Thanks to the Subculture of Defeat, Mexico became a provider of low-cost labor for foreign industry.

FUTURE OF THE SUBCULTURE OF DEFEAT.

   The future of this subculture depends on the current economic model and defines the future of Mexico.

   Its most important contribution refers to the salary expectations of workers.

   At all times, the interaction between investors and labor, has placed the salary as a matter of coincidence or conflict.

   Any National development project, has the premise that investors and the workforce share the interest of improving the lifestyle of the people. This is natural when both parties are from the same country, that is what happens in developed countries (U.S., England, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, etc.), not in Mexico.

    Production needs labor and administration, and the administration is always willing to pay low salaries.

   History shows that the administration has achieved such a purpose by force or taming educational systems to produce labor with low salary expectations.

   This practice continues despite the existence of many meritorious examples of management with social responsibility.

   Around the world, industry forces educational systems to meet employer’s needs.

   When the administration and the workforce are from the same country, schools must produce not only labor, but also leaders and scientists. Otherwise, when administration comes from abroad, schools have to produce labor especially.

   In 1972, Mexican government modified the education system to meet the industrial demand for labor and technicians.

   Basic education gave up to modeling the child spirit; young people are no longer committed to their potential and their dreams. Knowing that they are not well qualified, the engineers accept jobs in the workshops, and the accountants are satisfied with office work.

   Most parents want their children to speak English, and most graduates expect to work for a transnational organization, regardless of whether the task involves not using their skills to the limit.

   There are many schools and teachers that have managed to awaken the creativity of their students, and there are many successful graduates. However, it would be a fallacy to use their cases as samples of Mexico’s educational system.

   In Mexico the industry demands to implement decisions already taken, and when an employee suggests something promising, he receives a pat on the shoulder, and the company sends the idea to the headquarters abroad.

   The Subculture of Defeat like that of the Conquerors is no longer a group; it is a state of mind that makes Mexico an excellent supplier of industries that require a lot of manpower. However, that is not the best for the future of the country.

   In the near future, the world economy will need less labor due to automation.

   Mexico must redesign its economic system to prevent a catastrophe.

   The education system must stop producing cheap labor, and industry must generate demand of leaders, scientists, and designers, along with all kinds of creative and proactive employees.

   If no changes are made, the prevalence of the Subculture of Defeat will prevent Mexico from improving its economy during the XXI century.