Mexico's Education Ministry Announces 9% Teacher Pay Raise After Nationwide Strikes

The Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) said the 2023‑2024 school year ended with a 9% salary increase for teachers, the hiring of 200,000 new staff and a freeze on the minimum retirement age. The measures follow weeks of protests by the National Coordination of Education Workers (CNTE) that left about 1.4 million students without classes, especially in Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Zacatecas and Mexico City. CNTE staged a 19‑day sit‑in in the historic centre, blocked roads and threatened to disrupt World Cup activities. Ahead of ending the strike, the government allocated 800 million pesos to address teacher vacancies and school equipment in Oaxaca, and announced bonuses for educators in Mexico City and Guerrero.

SEP also reported that 10.8 million students now have digital health records, and highlighted nutrition, dental and vision services provided to schools. Emergency learning programs were launched to recover missed content, and schools are set to reopen on 31 August for students and 24 August for teachers, with an accelerated grading calendar for the next year.