The president of the National Union of Parents (UNPF), Israel Sánchez Martínez, expressed on Monday that the organization disagrees with the incoming government of Claudia Sheinbaum regarding the Comipems exam. This exam has become an incentive for thousands of secondary school students to enhance their academic performance.
Sánchez Martínez believes that the Union of Parents does not view the exam as discriminative. Instead, it offers students the chance to continue their education while also allowing educational institutions to assess students’ knowledge and skills acquired during basic education.
The UNPF’s stance comes in response to the proposal by President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum and the incoming Secretary of Public Education, Mario Delgado, to eliminate the entrance exam for high school, organized by the Metropolitan Commission of Public Institutions of Higher Secondary Education (Comipems), starting in 2025.
Sánchez Martínez stated that rather than causing rejection among students, the exam helps organize the process for students to find suitable high school placements based on their abilities. He emphasized that young people tend to take their studies more seriously and prepare more diligently.
Every year, approximately 280,000 aspiring students take the Comipems exam. The UNPF president mentioned that removing this evaluation will not solve the issues of educational lag or lack of opportunities for students to advance in their studies. He noted that eliminating the exam without a clear strategy would not ensure the quality of education received by students in Valle de México.
Sánchez Martínez pointed out that the actual reasons why not all students gain admission to high school in Valle de México are due to insufficient public school spaces and the financial challenges faced by educational institutions.
The UNPF is calling on the upcoming federal education authorities to recognize the importance of evaluations in improving and maintaining secondary education quality, urging them to establish better evaluation and diagnostic tools.
Since 2020, the UNPF has raised concerns about the improvised educational model in Mexico, the legality of some textbooks, and the challenges students face following the pandemic. The president highlighted the necessity of having key performance indicators to assess the educational sector and plan adequately.
A few weeks ago, the spokesperson for COMIPEMS, Daniel López Barrera, stated that the 282,000 young people registered in 2024 are guaranteed a spot in high schools affiliated with this system. He explained that the assignment process is based on aspirants’ academic preferences, allowing them to select up to 20 different options.
Regarding the incoming federal government, Mario Delgado mentioned that he has received a mandate from Claudia Sheinbaum to implement a project aimed at building more high schools, thereby increasing the number of available slots for students.
Delgado noted that part of this plan involves eliminating the COMIPEMS exam, ensuring that no young person is denied admission and that everyone has the opportunity to continue their education.
Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized the importance of increasing the number of high schools to match the number of secondary schools, facilitating greater continuity in young people’s education. She stressed that the construction of new high schools is urgently needed to guarantee access to upper secondary education for all students.
Additionally, Sheinbaum indicated that the model to be implemented starting in 2025 might resemble that of the United States, where all secondary school students are required to enroll in high schools close to their homes.
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