MIM Notes 189 July 1 1999

STUDENTS STRIKE TO OPPOSE TUITION AT MEXICO UNIVERSITY

by MC17

In early June the administration at the National Autonomous 
University of Mexico (UNAM) gave in to several key demands after a 
seven-week student strike which shut down classes for the 280,000 
students at the school, but student activists decided to continue 
the strike, rejecting the plan which did not encompass all of 
their demands. Since April 20 strikers have been actively 
organizing a countrywide protest against the imposition of a 
mandatory tuition at this university which has always offered free 
public education. On June 7 the governing council of the 
University approved a plan to make these new tuition fees 
voluntary. In addition the council approved amnesty for striking 
students who were charged with minor infractions and agreed to 
extend the semester into the summer to allow students to finish 
classes.(1) 

In rejecting the new plan offered by the governing council 
students insisted on open talks with the dean to discuss the 
internal governing of the school including entrance requirements 
and financial issues. The General Strike Council (CGH), the group 
leading the strike, pointed out that the new tuition rules still 
included increased fees for the use of school facilities and did 
not address the proposed academic changes which students oppose 
because they would eliminate some majors in favor of more focus on 
those that serve corporations.(3) Striking students were also 
protesting the administration's attempt to enforce more difficult 
exams and other requirements for graduation including a time 
limit.

One CGH member explained why they did not accept the governing 
council's new plan: "The strike is not just against the tuition 
increase, but it is also opposed to the overall reform of the 
university. If we end the strike now we loose all bargaining power 
against the dean's decisions."(3)

In February the president of the university, Francisco Barnes de 
Castro, proposed to raise the current tuition of three cents (.30 
pesos) a year to $136 (1,360 pesos). In early March student 
protests began, including marches of thousands of students down 
major streets in Mexico City. In 1986 a similar proposed tuition 
hike was defeated after determined student protests and a month-
long student strike.(2) On April 20 the strike began with the 
slogan, "We close the University today in order to keep it open 
forever."(6)

The plan to impose tuition and other restructuring of the school 
was aimed at making the University more selective and moving away 
from liberal arts education and into a computer and science focus. 
This turned into a very clear struggle between those who would 
like to preserve the opportunity of education for all which does 
not pander to the demands of corporations, and those who would 
reserve it for the few who can afford to pay for the education 
that will allow them to then earn even more money. This is the 
third attempt by a UNAM president to charge fees since 1987 and 
all have failed.(1)

"We don't want a university that just serves private companies," 
said one striking student at a preparatory high schools that is 
part of the UNAM system. "We want it to be at the service of 
society."(1) Many high schools in the country are a part of the 
UNAM and the youth at these schools participated actively in the 
strike. One mainstream paper in Mexico reported attacks and 
threats against a student activist at CCH-Sur; such harassment is 
more widespread than just one incident. This youth, who went into 
hiding after several threats and attacks, said "although I am a 
little afraid, what has happened to me has given me the energy to 
continue fighting the thinking of millions of people like me is 
not going to change."(4) 

In what is being seen by many as a movement against the 
privatization of Mexico, activists have stressed that their 
protests are not just about the University. The CGH received a 
greeting from subcomandante Marcos of the Zapatista movement 
stating that the EZLN is "unconditionally with the student 
movement."(5) Demonstrating the government fear of potential 
activism, significant money and time has been spent gathering 
information about those involved in the strikes down to lists of 
license plates, names, and close circuit TV monitoring of 
activities inside UNAM.(6)

In addition to protests in Mexico city, there have been 
demonstrations across the country as well as concerts and other 
cultural activities in support of the protests. Although the 
participants are principally UNAM students, students from other 
schools have also joined in alongside faculty and staff and other 
supporters.(6) The movement is based in the university where the 
activists are very organized and many keep constant vigil, some 
administer the finances, others cook meals, others clean the 
bathrooms, some guard the building, and all are involved in 
holding political meetings day after day. Financial and political 
support from the outside is strong and the money collected on the 
streets is enough to sustain the activists.(6)

The proposed tuition hike which provoked such widespread protest 
included a provision for students to sign a statement that they 
could not afford to pay which would then qualify them for free 
education. But even with this clause the students in Mexico were 
not willing to accept the changes to the University. In Mexico, 
where access to the university has always been open to all and 
funded by the government, adding financial requirements is a big 
step towards restricting education.

In a country as poor as Mexico, free education does not mean that 
everyone can take advantage of this opportunity. When youth need 
to work to help support their family, attending college is a 
luxury of time that many can not afford. But the students are 
correctly demanding that access to education not be restricted 
even further.

This movement has done more than force a few concessions from the 
UNAM administration and scare the government, it has provided a 
forum for tremendous political education of those involved. Daily 
meetings take place within the schools that make up the University 
as well as among the entire student body and involve much heated 
debate between the moderates advocating concessions with the 
government and the radicals (called ultras) wanting to continue 
the strike until total control of the university is turned over. 
Many activists, particularly in imperialist countries like the 
u.s., advocate coalition-building by compromising with the lowest 
common denominator. They complain and ask why everyone cant just 
get along and work together. The UNAM students are providing an 
example of useful struggle within a movement which is certainly 
teaching all involved more than they were learning from their 
classes. 

According to one activist writing for El Processo, the student 
strike consciously decided not to put forward the names of any 
individuals so that they would be leaderless to avoid the pitfalls 
of misleadership in other movements. While MIM strongly supports 
the UNAM activists, we know that it is not possible to have a 
leaderless movement. Learning from history, we can see that 
movements that attempt to operate in this way end up being taken 
over by reactionary forces or split apart by ideological 
differences fueled by agents of the state. In fact, the most 
successful movements in history which have gone up against the 
reactionary state and won have been those with communist 
leadership involving the people at all different levels of society 
in a United Front.

Notes:
1. NYT, June 8, 1999.
2. CNN, Marcy 9, 1999.
3. The News, Mexico City, June 9, 1999. 
(http://www.novedades.com.mx/the-news.htm)
4. La Jornada, june 9, 1999
5. El Excelsior, June 9, 1999
6. El Proceso, June 6, 1999, no 1179.