empire's children: the people of TZINTZUNTZAN FOSTER 241 



the early 1930's when Lazaro Cardenas, then bus Day); and November 20, Anniversary of 



governor of Michoacan, founded an EscueJa the Mexican Revolution. Wednesday through 



Industrial, a trade school. In addition to the Friday of Easter Week was vacation, as were 



usual basic grammar-school subjects, masters of the periods May 19-28 (spring vacation) and 



local industries, such as pottery making, tile September 17-26 (fall vacation). The school 



making, fish net weaving, and petate making, year is not divided into semesters. A total of 



were hired to teach in this school. A master 187 days of school was listed officially, though 



potter came from Tlaquepaque, near Guadala- in practice this number was somewhat reduced, 



jara, to teach the use of the wheel (unsuccess- Thus, registration in 1945 was delayed 2 weeks, 



fully) and to introduce new decorative tech- until February 15, because it was impossible to 



niques (which also failed to take hold). When think about school during the fiesta of Rescate. 

 Cardenas became president he could no longer Nine teachers, including three women, were 



devote personal time to the school, and the new on the rolls, as follows: 



governor allowed the industrial aspects to lapse, >, , , 

 with little if any permanent effect on the com- 

 munity. This school functioned in what is today ^i'^^^ I"^^"^' teachers, category B SllO 



^1 . ■ , I ., ,. ■' three rederal teachers, cateeory L $100 



the municipal building One State teacher, category c! S 90 



Subsequently an elaborate new school, the Federal manual training teacher $100 



Escuela Semiurbana Federal 2 de Octubre, was Federal lacquer-work training teacher. . .$100 



built as a part of the project to beautify the old r • »i. ^ i r .i ' . 



rp • 1 • 1 If • I II 1 -ror comparison, the caretaker of the racatas, 



larascan capital city and lilt it above the level i • • i i » • » i • i . ' r 



n ,. .,-, r> • 1 /-'I whose principal duty is to keep sightseers from 



ot surrounding villages, rresident Lardenas n- a- -a a j j i i 



, . ,^ 111- • rs 1 n walking on with the mounds, and who can bare- 



himseli attended the inauguration on Uctober Z, i j j •» • oion ti 



,„„„ f , 1-1 1 ■ iy read and write, receives ^110. Ihese very 



19.39, ot the new structure, which was named in i i • -n ^ . r .i • • i j 



r , , r 1 r 1- 'o^ Salaries illustrate one ot the principal edu- 



commemoration ot the date ol the tounding .• i i i i • u i\/r • » r c u 



r , . . . f. rr ■ ■ ir^oo r cational problems which Mexico must lace. Such 



ol the niunicipio ot Izintzuntzan in 19oU. A i • • i • j . » .. . 



, , ' . ... , salaries are simply inadequate to attract many 



complete o-year primary curriculum is taught. » ^ ^ u t • / . • r » 



„,',.,,.•'.',.-,, , . , ., • competent teachers. Izintzuntzan is tortunate, 



Ihe building is admirably designed, with six ■ ■. c -^ ^ i ■ • u • i 



, , '^ /. . '^ , in spite or its low salaries, in having remark- 



large class rooms, an auditorium and stage, a 1 1 ii j » u j 



, *^ , . , ' , 1 1- • abiy well-prepared teachers, men and women 



large kitchen, a carpentry shop, and living quar- -.i • i »• . a . i r j »• 



^ r 1 1- I 1 • > M Ol With amazing devotion to the task ot educating 



ters tor the director and his tamily. bhower- iv/r • ti ■ • n .u i 



/ . , young Mexicans. Ihis is all the more remark- 



baths and flush toilets the first of their kind ^^^^ -^^ ^-^^ ^f ^j^^ ^^,^^g ^j^ l^j^^^ j^^^. 



in town were installed. Few rural schools in i^aiff-erence on the part of many townspeople, 

 Mexico have as fine a physical plant It func- ^^^-^^ opposition of the fanatically Catholic 

 tions directly under the Ministry of Education population, and lack of means to enforce at- 

 a long the same lines as all other Federal schools. tendance. Though the law requires all children 

 The school calendar, curriculum, and holidays ^^ complete 6 years of school, in practice there 

 are determined by the Federal calendanoesco- -^ ^^ mechanism to enforce it. Hence, cajoling 

 lar sent out to directors at the beginmng of each ^^^| threatening are the only techniques avail- 

 year. December and January comprise the long ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ teachers, and attendance in 

 period of vacation, and school continues through- ^^^^^ ^^^.^ ^^^^^^^ ypo^ how attractive they can 

 out the remainder of the year. The calendar ^^^^ g^^i^o^l to their wards, and their ability to 

 for 1945 showed registration beginning Janu- convince parents that children will learn nothing 

 ary 31 and examinations over November 30. Jj^^l 



Nine official holidays are recognized: February . xhe former priest actively opposed the 



5, Constitution Day; May 1, Labor Day; May Government school and threatened to excom- 



5, Anniversary of the Battle of May 5; May 15, municate parents who allowed their children to 



Teachers' Day; May 28, Day of National, Solem- attend. During this period attendance fluctuated 



nity; July 18, Anniversary of the death of Jua- around 50, remarkably high in view of the 



rez; September 1, Opening of Congress; October seriousness of his threat. He offered as a substi- 



12, Dia de la Raza ("Day of the Race," Colum- tute an escuela particular ("private school"), 



