Evening star., 1944-09-10
Mexico Outlines Pl,u
10 leach Millions
TO Read and Write
~ tho Associated prese,

~ ths Associated Prsss.
MEXICO CITY, Sept. e.-Pred-.
dent ,Avila Camacho is going to
teach two illiterates to read and
write simple Spaniah q m example
to his countrymen Ia ! new move.
ment to educate the hall Of the n, e
O00. 900 people In Mexico who can
neither read nor write.
The movement" Is compulsory
because the President laid down
the law by . recent decree that re-
cuires every literAte person, II neces-
sary. to teach one Less fortunate
person between 5 and 10 years old
to read and wrtte.
( A vast and complicated program
Is being elaborated for the teaching
which will start by January /. The
Army, civil oflcials, school STATS
and hundreds Of thousands Of other
educated persons will be put to
work. Housewives will teach their
maids.
Onicial figures on literacy admit
tedly are only approximate, but the
Ministry Of Education says about
48 per cent of the population and
about one-third Of the non Indians
are illiterAte. For the present there
will be no concerted effort to teach
reading and writing to Indians,
many of whom use only their tribal
dialects
pri,saAr~ IN M YJs>d
Several million primers will be
used. They will be Illustrated as are
kindergarten books, showing dog"
"cat," Cow" and so forth. There
will be instructions for the many
unframed teachers who probably
will have as tough q time as the
pupils.
Just how the tired factory owner
is going to do his duty Is undeter-
mined but the Ministry of Education
is considering allowing certain cate
gories Of busy people to join in en-
ploying teacher for Z class As
there won't be enough professional
teachers there probably will be cre-
ated q new group OF amateur in
structors, doubtless among students.
That will offer a new way for a
poor boy to pay his way through
school.
In the primer there will Be two
coupons, one to be retained by the
mayor or other local ofiicial and
the other sent to the ministry here.
These coupons will certify to the
pupils proficiency.
Details to Be Settled.
Among other details to be settled
is the amount Of reading and writ
ing knowledge that will constitute
literacy.
One strong force in the educa-
tional field is the womens group of
AZ organizations which met Wednes-
day night with the President and
Sonora Avila Camacho present to
pledge their memberships to teach
the ignorant. There were all walks
Of life there from the representa-
tive of the mattresses union to the
dynamic woman revolutionary
fighter, Col Carmen PARA de
Alanis, who commanded 200 male
soldiers in Chihuahua in the days
Of bullets instead of ballots.
Those of Mexico's army draftees
who are illiterate receive instruction
in reading and writing daily at. 4
pm, after their siesta. Ten thou!
sand 18-year-old youths, many OF
them from rural areas, are con-
scripted annually for years service,
4 ~ 15-Month Program. ~
President Avila Camacho is going
to allow is months for his program
to be executed. When the results
are appraised future action will be
considered.
= Aside from the value of reducing
illiteracy, educational leaders here
say they are sure that Mexicans will
get new sense OF duty to their
fellows and a greater pride In their
country, both of which will be re-
flected in national, civic and social
life.
Minister of Education Jaime Tor
res Bodet, who must supervise this
great new primer class of possibly
several millions, is going to follow
the Presidents example and teach
one pupil. With those two setting
the pace and with a decree law in
force, it is expected that many thou
sands of officials, ambitious politi-
clans and society in general will at
tain amateur standing in pedagogy
and likewise get to know personally
a lot of people they have heard
about but never expected to meet.
They'll get a closeup view Of life
as 1t is lived.