People’s Mañanera August 31

ByPedro Gellert

Every day, President Claudia Sheinbaum gives a morning presidential press conference and Mexico Solidarity Media posts English language summaries, translated by Mexico Solidarity’s Pedro Gellert. Previous press conference summaries are available here.

Education Is a Right, Not a Privilege
More than 28 million students are returning to school with universal scholarship/stipends covering elementary through high school. President Claudia Sheinbaum was clear: “We don’t want anyone to drop out of school for financial reasons. All children have talent.”

Caring for Emotions Is Also a Form of Transformation
Through the ABCs of Emotions program, teenagers aged 14 to 18 will receive mental health support, 16 million guidebooks, and one hour of instruction per week in the classroom. The President declared that “together, we will support them so they can continue to grow in a healthy way.”

Mental Health Is Nurtured Within the Community
With 35,458 assemblies, health brigades, and care services at 100 Community Centers, this support will reach every corner of the country. Faced with the challenges posed by social media, Sheinbaum called for staying close to young people, building trust, and supporting them without judgment.

Less Screen Time, More Social Interaction
81% of teachers agree that cell phones should not be allowed in the classroom. Sheinbaum emphasized their effects on students’ attention span and social interaction: “What we want is for them to play and socialize instead of spending all their time scrolling,” the President explained.

Decent Schools for Learning and Socializing
In Mexico City, the “1, 2, 3 for My School” initiative has a budget of 1.5 billion pesos (US$88.25 million) and has renovated 750 schools. The program combines security, culture, technology, and scholarships/stipends to make schools the best public spaces.