CONALEP 257 Graduation: Opening the Door to the Future
Tara A. Spears
For a small-town country school, the local vocational-technical high school, CONALEP, has a lot to be proud of. The campus might be showing its age but the teachers and administration are top notch! If you have a repairman that tells you he trained at CONALEP, you can be assured he/she completed a rigorous program using the latest techniques or equipment. CONALEP 257 offers four career paths to prepare students: Food and Beverages; Business/Administration; Refrigeration/AC; Tourism/Hospitality. “The main goal of CONALEP 257 is to provide this region and other municipalities with qualified labor.” This outstanding school just help its 2023 graduation ceremony on campus. Congratulations to each student and their families!
What many visitors or seasonal residents aren’t aware of is that the Mexican educational system does NOT provide ‘free/ no cost’ education beyond 5th grade. That means that secondario/ middle school (which is grades 6-9) requires tuition payment plus books plus uniforms plus transportation; it is the same with high school (grades 10-12.) Not only that, but until the mid1960s, there was only primario (elementary) schools in Jaltemba Bay. This is the reason that local civic groups (Rotary, Los Amigos) provide scholarships to assist talented local kids to attend high school.
The JB community can thank educator Leonel Diaz Michel for establishing the first middle school in 1965 at the location that is currently the ejido office. As enrollment increased, the middle school, named Secondario Plan de Ayala, moved to its current location in La Penita about 1973. By 1976 the vocational high school opened with six classrooms, a basketball court that was also the civic square, workshops on typing and technical drawing and 250 students. CONALEP 257 has had enrollment over 600 students for a decade. Without the vision and dedication of Leonel Diaz Michel generations of people would not have had access to learning.
The name ‘Plan de Ayala’ refers to an important political philosophy developed after the Mexican Revolution. The Ayala Plan specifies the heart of agrarian issue at that time: any lands, mountains and waters that have been usurped by landowners, scientists or chiefs in the shadow of tyranny, will be restored to their former owners who have property titles. This plan enables “The peoples and Citizens of Mexico to obtain common lands, colonies, legal funds for towns or fields and to be able to improve everything…for the prosperity and well-being of Mexicans.”
The vision statement of CONALEP 257 is effective as the students leaving the institution are well equipped to be a productive member of society. “Vision 2024: To be an institution recognized for the preparation of leaders in cutting-edge technological development, for its ability to build alliances with the productive sectors of the country and its participation in applied research for inclusive and sustainable social transformation. The CONALEP System enjoys wide national and international recognition for its practices attached to the values of transparency, innovation, quality and flexibility to respond to global challenges.
An ongoing dialog between the Nayarit department of education and businessman throughout the state strives to mesh the vocational curriculum with the needs of the workforce. Employers and universities, based on many years of strong performance in graduates, know that in CONALEP 257 young people are being prepared who they have the specific abilities to be able to occupy a job position, not only theoretical knowledge but also practical knowledge in their chosen field.
For the teachers, the biggest challenge is to be able to re-equip the educational institution, coupled with real academic and professional development. In order to provide the best possible training new equipment is needed continually. By having instruction on the latest machine or engine, the young person prepares him/herself for what is actually out there.
A round of applause to the teachers and students at CONALEP for a job well done! May “the adventure ahead of you be a journey to fulfil your own purpose and potential.” – Kerry Washington.
