▲ On the way to school, hurrying to get to the España elementary school, in the center of Mexico City, where they performed the flag honors at the start of the 2024-2025 cycle.Photo Pablo Ramos
Laura Poy Solano
The newspaper La Jornada
Tuesday, August 27, 2024, p. 11
Thousands of children and teenagers flooded the streets of the country early yesterday to start the 2024-2025 school year. In the lines to enter the schools there were mixed feelings: uncertainty about starting a new stage and happiness about reuniting with friends.
Nationwide, more than 23.9 million elementary school students returned to school yesterday, along with 1.2 million teachers and principals working in 231,000 public and private schools.
This school year, 162 million free textbooks will be distributed. They were distributed to preschool and primary school students yesterday, while distribution to secondary school students is expected to begin next week.
At the España Elementary School, in the heart of Mexico City’s historic center, hundreds of children accompanied by their parents waited excitedly for the gate of the old colonial building, home of their school, to open.
Located at 128 San Jerónimo Street, in the heart of the La Merced neighborhood, it serves 280 children. One of them, Aaron, six years old, arrived excitedly at the main entrance of his school. Accompanied by his father and grandmother, he hurried to be one of the first to arrive.
Wearing his new red and blue uniform and carrying a huge yellow backpack with his favorite character on it, he looked a little nervous at the prospect of meeting new friends.
Today I got up very early. I told my parents that I wanted to have breakfast early so we could come to school, because I want to get to know my class and my new classmates.
he said smiling while showing the mark of his whiskers
milk.
A short distance away, in the populous Santa María La Ribera neighbourhood, hundreds of teenagers also got up early. Accompanied by their parents, they arrived punctually at the José Vasconcelos secondary school on Naranjos Street.
Amaya and Edgar, first grade students, said they were pleased to have entered one of the most in-demand schools in their neighborhood. I am happy because I managed to stay. I wanted to be in this school or in the annex (a campus attached to the Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestros). It is a dream because my parents also studied here.
said Edgar moments before entering the campus.
Valentín Cruz, director of the school, with 40 years of service, highlighted that the greatest challenge at the beginning of this school year It is to ensure that students adapt to project work and that as a teaching team we achieve the best planning to reinforce their learning.
.
Back to school is not only full of excitement and joy for children and teenagers. For many families, it represents an economic effort. We knew that returning to school would entail a heavy expense, so we began to buy materials little by little since they gave us the list of supplies at the end of the last cycle.
said Johana, mother of Esteban, a fourth grader.
As part of the spending for the return to school, dozens of parents delivered to the schools the materials
cleaning supplies, including toilet paper, liquid hand soap and disinfectants.
Added to this is the cost of school uniforms and shoes. Unlike last year, when we spent 700 pesos, now it was more than a thousand due to the impact of inflation.
said Alfredo, father of Monserrat, a student who entered second grade of primary school.
The mental and emotional health of children and adolescents must also be addressed during this return to school.
The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) recommended that parents maintain communication with their children and teachers to learn about the achievements and fears they face as their classes progress. In addition, among other basic measures, it reminded parents that the backpack should not have a load greater than 15 percent of the child’s body weight.
With information from Alexia Villaseñor.
