Concerns Mount Over Working Conditions for Teachers at ENFT
Students poised to graduate from the Escuela Normal Fronteriza de Tijuana (ENFT) are increasingly worried about the working conditions and delayed payments affecting their teachers. Susana Denisse Ramírez González, a seventh-grade ENFT student, highlighted that these issues impede students’ ability to complete the practical experience required for graduation.
“The suspension of classes due to teacher strikes directly impacts us, particularly as we’re in our seventh semester and need practical experience for our degree documentation,” Ramírez explained. This challenge poses a significant hurdle for future teachers in primary education who may encounter similar union-related issues.
Dulce Delia Santos, another ENFT student, indicated that such challenges discourage young educators when labor rights are not upheld, fearing similar eventualities for themselves. “Challenges and barriers are evident from the beginning, and we hope for unity within the community to resolve these issues soon,” she expressed.
In this context, members of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE) and the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) have halted work due to unpaid salaries by state authorities. Protests by hundreds of teachers have been ongoing since before the 2024-2025 academic year began, with demands for due compensation directed at Tijuana’s Department of Education.
### Nationwide Education Challenges: Teacher Shortages and Policy Impact
Across Mexico, educational institutions are grappling not only with payment issues but also with significant teacher shortages. In Baja California alone, there is a shortfall of 2,000 teachers needed for basic education coverage. This gap complicates efforts to maintain adequate educational standards and manage increasing student populations.
Furthermore, broader educational policies and administrative changes pose additional obstacles. The potentially imminent dissolution of the state’s Transparency Institute (ITAIPBC), depending on federal decisions, exemplifies wider systemic changes that could influence educational transparency and governance.
Simultaneously, the normalization of diplomatic relations with the United States remains crucial, particularly regarding educational exchanges and cooperative initiatives. Local governments continue to monitor developments in the U.S. political landscape that might affect binational educational collaborations and migration-related policies impacting student mobility.
Overall, these intertwining issues underscore the pressing need for cohesive strategies to address both immediate and systemic educational challenges facing institutions like the ENFT and the broader educational community in Mexico.