Mexico expands high school capacity goal to 400,000 spaces

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced a significant expansion of the country's high school capacity, doubling the initial goal from 200,000 to 400,000 new student spaces during her administration. The announcement was made during the inauguration of the Centro de Bachillerato Tecnológico Agropecuario (CBTA) No. 330 in Texcoco, Estado de México. This new facility, representing a 50 million peso investment, provides specialized training in areas such as cybersecurity and agricultural production.

The expansion is part of the Plan Integral Zona Oriente, which aims to improve infrastructure, water access, and education across 11 municipalities in the State of Mexico. The plan includes constructing at least one high school and one university in each targeted municipality to ensure students do not have to travel long distances to continue their studies.

In a separate educational initiative, the government is addressing the impact of digital technology on youth. Sheinbaum is promoting a national discussion regarding the regulation of social media and digital platforms to mitigate risks to mental health and learning. Proposed measures include the ‘ABC of Emotions’ program, where teachers will engage students in weekly discussions about emotional well-being and the effects of excessive screen time and artificial intelligence use.