Initiative would renew academic competitions in Spanish, mathematics and public speaking for local students

Following concerns over Mexico’s performance in the international PISA assessment, local education advocates are calling for renewed efforts to strengthen basic education.

Retired teacher Ramón López Arce proposed to César Rivera González, president of the Rosarito Economic Development Advisory Council (CCDER), that the educational work of Fundación Cultural Horizontes be revived. The foundation was established by the late Hugo Eduardo Torres Chabert.

For many years, the foundation worked through private-sector initiatives in coordination with education authorities to promote academic achievement in Spanish and mathematics, two core areas of basic education.

Its activities included competitions in Spanish, public speaking and mathematics for elementary and secondary students, with prizes and incentives awarded to top performers.

According to López Arce, the competitions encouraged students to work toward academic achievement and provided an incentive for them to stand out at their schools.

He said that, in light of the challenges facing education in Mexico, renewed collaboration is needed to strengthen core academic skills, particularly in Spanish and mathematics.

Members of the Pro-Municipality Committee supported the proposal. Rivera González said he would follow up on the initiative and explore the possibility of including it in the education program operated with funding from FIDEM.