The Most Remarkable Schools in Mexico by The Knowledge Review

November | Issue 03 | 2021

The

Most

Remarkable Schools in

M e x i co

Career Opportunities for Individuals after Graduation in Mexico

Liceo de

MONTERREY

SCHOOL Instilling Academic Excellence, Catholic Values, and Faith in Students

EDITOR’S NOTE

THE SPEARHEADS OF MEXICO’S EDUCATION SYSTEM

ncredible food, Mariachi bands, ancient temples, and cathedrals- Mexico is not only known for these things. The country has gradually evolved and enhanced its education system. It has worked extensively on developing the teaching-learning system, while ensuring that every institution can act freely to focus on the academic and career development of the students. With the objective of attaining excellence in academic procedures and career development opportunities for the children, the country has emphasized in establishing and promoting excellent educational institutions. There are many schools in the country, which have a strong and diverse curriculum aimed at nurturing the students and transforming them into able professionals. These schools oﬀer excellent academic and infrastructural facilities, along with brilliant campuses and infrastructure. They train the students in such a manner, that upon graduating, these students easily secure a respectable job in reputed institutions, companies, and organizations.

The primary focus of the leading schools of Mexico is to ensure that each student thoroughly understands every concept covered in the curriculum. These schools assist the students to unleash their potential and discover their strengths. Subsequently, they train them to hone their skills so that they can transform into polished and well-behaved individuals. Upholding the Mexican culture and tradition, these schools openly embrace advanced technology and teaching–learning methods. They make sure that every student is well acquainted with technological advancements and the latest developments in the field of education. The prominent schools of the country leave no stone unturned to ensure the personality development of every student. They transform them into confident individuals, who can look every challenge in the eye and overcome them while making a major impact in their respective arenas. Owing to the dedicated efforts of these noteworthy schools, many students have graduated successfully

and have established themselves as influential leaders in different walks of life. These schools always ensure that the students successfully implement the classroom teachings in real life, which in turn, would assist them to attain their objectives with efficiency. They never miss out any opportunity to provide students with the knowledge which would help them to shape their careers. Career-oriented curriculum, cutting-edge infrastructural facilities, internship, and training opportunities- these are the hallmarks of the most celebrated schools in Mexico. Hence, in this issue, we intend to showcase the most distinguished schools in Mexico, which are taking academics and co-curricular activities to the heights of excellence. For more information about these elite schools, browse through the pages. T R

al Ananda Kam

Das

Ananda Kamal Das ananda@insightssuccess.com

08 Liceo de C o v e r

S t o r y

Monterrey School

Instilling Academic Excellence, Catholic Values, and Faith in Students

C X O

Back in Form What are the Challenges when Reopening Schools?

Veteran’s Voice

The Cooperation between Parents and Teachers for the Academic and Career Development of Students

P r o f

18 32

i l e s

The Wingate School Strive, Learn, and Serve

Winpenny School Developing Well-Educated, Creative, and Responsible Learners

A r t i c l e s

Edu-Trend

Career Focus

Emerging trends in the Mexican Educational sector

Career Opportunities for Individuals after Graduation in Mexico

C O N T E N T S

People behind this edition sales@insightssuccess.com Editor-in-Chief Senior Editor Managing Editor Assisting Editor Contributing Writer

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NOVEMBER, 2021

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The Most

Schools in

Name of the Institution

URL

Brief

Colegio Francés del Pedregal

francespedregal.mx

The school trains people with a solid culture, committed to the search for a more just society

Liceo de Monterrey

liceo.edu.mx

The Liceo de Monterrey is a private, non-prot school with a differentiated education system and Christian inspiration

Lycée Franco-Mexicain

lfm.edu.mx

The school aims to offer high quality French education based on the programs of the French Ministry of National Education and SEP

The Wingate School

wingate.edu.mx

Wingate offers an educational programme focussed on academic excellence, creativity, and human formation

Winpenny School

winpenny.edu.mx

The school develops curious, independent, and responsible learners who are well educated

Cover Story

We transmit the catholic faith to our students and provide opportunities to develop a close relationship with Jesus

Liceo de Monterrey School

Instilling Academic Excellence, Catholic Values, and Faith in Students

The Most Remarkable Schools in Mexico

n 1978, ﬁve families questioned themselves – “what will be the best school for our family?” They believed that their children needed academic excellence and catholic and humanist formation. They were looking for a school where faith and reason would coexist harmonically. Soon, they concluded that to enhance the capabilities of a child, an extraordinary education system needs to be established. This visionary thought gave birth to the Liceo de Monterrey school in 1978. The school began its journey with less than 100 kids in kindergarten, ﬁrst to fourth grades, with the objective of inculcating academic excellence, Catholic values, and faith in students. Liceo de Monterrey provides unique education unlike any other education system. The school teaches to develop the child in a comprehensive way. It also provides an opportunity to cultivate spiritual nourishment in students. At Liceo, education is more than just a requirement of higher grades. It rather focuses on providing Christian humanism formation in students to become leaders of tomorrow, to serve society. It also provides an opportunity to enhance learning, develop humanism, and spread happiness. Infrastructure: The school campus is 29,758 m2 (2.9 hectares) and contains 15,000m2 (1.5 hectares) of academic building space. Its buildings were recently renovated to incorporate an active and collaborative learning approach. The school comprises exceptional learning spaces such as: The Innovation room: Designed to foster collaboration and the use of technology in the development of interdisciplinary projects.

The STEM room: The school believes that women can play a larger role in STEM. Accordingly, the staff inculcate a scientific mindset through a hands-on approach. Here, students have the opportunity to learn robotics, coding, and get involved in other STEM projects. Culinary Arts Studio: The school has state-of-the-art kitchens, where its students enjoy learning culinary arts. This is where students practice basic collaboration skills, as well as order and responsibility in a delicious way. Sports facilities: Liceo de Monterrey has four basketball and two volleyball courts, one soccer field (Fut7), a gymnastics forum, and track and field. Chapel: Liceo de Monterrey teaches Catholic faith. There is a beautiful chapel on campus, where its students can pray, reflect, and receive the sacraments. Other: Library, Laboratory. Mission, Vision, and Core Values Mission: It is a school comprised of families who educate their children and students with the highest standards of international academic excellence and provide Christian humanism formation in order to become leaders who influence and serve society.

Vision: To become an international reference of education of women with character, critical thinking, and Christian vision so they can become protagonists of their personal development to reach high ideals and serve society. Strategic Pillars: The strategic pillars of the school guide all its actions, so that they can contribute to the accomplishment of their mission. Ÿ Academic Excellence Ÿ Christian Humanism Ÿ Committed Families Ÿ Innovation Core Values: The school wants to instill the following core values in its students – temperance, creative work, solidarity, integrity, and happiness. Empowering Girl Education Alicia Nakashima, Principal of Liceo de Monterrey, shared her school’s goal, “Our goal is that all of our students learn at high levels, we have high expectations for each one of them. We know that each student is unique, and we make eﬀorts to personalize education in the classroom. Our teachers collaborate among them and have processes in place where they

We educate our students in an integral way, taking all of the person’s aspects into consideration: the physical, the emotional, the intellectual and the spiritual constituents

key to the harmonic development of their children. That is why we allocate resources for parent formation in order to help them become better parents.”

analyze student data to improve learning.” Teachers monitor their students learning with international learning standards and work very hard so that all students achieve them. Students of Liceo de Monterrey have a record of obtaining academic and leadership scholarships from prestigious universities in Mexico, United States, and the world. Focusing on academic excellence and having high expectations is a way the school supports its students’ education. The school carries two main programs to empower its students: I-lead and the Liceo Societies. Students develop their leadership skills by participating in the Liceo Societies program, where they can organize student activities such as a Model of the United Nations (LiMUN). Additionally, these students conduct

philosophical reflection on the role of women and how they can reshape the world on a course called: Women in the contemporary world. Inspiring Leadership Alicia Nakashima is the principal and an alumnus. She is the mother of three, this gives her an excellent understanding of the school culture. She has an international mindset and is always learning and looking for ways to improve the school. She completed her B.A in Economics from Tec de Monterrey and a Master’s in Science in International Management from HEC Lausanne University. She was in the first cohort that earned a certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Business School and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Brief About the School Alicia said, “We believe parents’ engagement and commitment is the

The school educates its students in an integral way, taking all the person’s aspects into consideration: the physical, the emotional, the intellectual, and the spiritual constituents. The school is an ideal place to empower women as it provides multiple opportunities for leadership development and high-level learning. “We want our students to become the best versions of themselves, that is why we focus on the development of virtues. We transmit the Catholic faith to our students and provide opportunities to develop a close relationship with Jesus,” added Alicia. The Liceo after-school program offers basketball, volleyball, track and field, gymnastics, tennis, aerial dance, ballet, and jazz. On the other side, the school provides variety of activities and courses such as chess, Chinese, business development, fashion design, Model of the United Nations, sign language, and coral choir. To foster a STEM mindset, it offers stop motion, robotics, and coding. In the I-lead program, students have the opportunity to work with real

NGOs. They learn about their mission and work to help them achieve their goals. Here, girls learn that having a quality education is a privilege and that they have to give back to the community. After graduating, the alumni have supported nine different NGOs that alleviate a specific issue in the community. The course Life and Identity helps students become protagonists of their personal development by fostering self-knowledge and reflection in an anthropological way. Achievements Liceo de Monterrey is accredited by Cognia and is an Apple Distinguished school. In the early years, the school received a State Quality Award in the education section. In 2008, the school

received the Iberoamerican Award for Academic Excellence. Braving the Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic transformed the school to a 100% virtual school. The school adapted very fast, as its teachers were already using technology. Most of the classes were in synchronous mode, which ensured a close relationship between teachers and students. Talking about the pandemic days, Alicia shared, “After 17 months in on-line learning mode, we can proudly say that our students continued learning, this is conﬁrmed by our standardized test scores (MAP).” When the schools were allowed to reopen, the school developed safety protocols aligned with national and

international standards, which gives teachers and families the conﬁdence they need for a safe return. Scaling the Future Liceo de Monterrey is always improving its processes and culture in order to improve students' learning. In the next ﬁve years, its focus will be on women’s leadership and the management is aimed to work on more initiatives for the girls to develop this skill. Also, they want to re-start the international experiences and the exchange programs.

We are a school comprised of families who educate our children and students with the highest standards of international academic excellence

Testimonials

As part of the Liceo family, we are conﬁdent that we belong to an educational community that provides the necessary values and principles in its members, so they leave an exceptional mark on our society Guillermo Dillón Liceo parent and President of the Board

We thank Liceo de Monterrey for promoting the values we wish to instill in our daughters as part of their education. They have also inﬂuenced and helped us as a family

Cynthia y Guillermo Guadarrama Liceo family

We appreciate our school, Liceo de Monterrey, as it nurtured our family’s educational project and allowed us to discover other families with the same values. We have learned from the people we met as they have become exceptional role models

Loreen Padilla Liceo parent

I appreciate everything that I learned while at Liceo de Monterrey, as the education I received has shaped who I am allowing me to instill the same virtues in my children

Valeria Zorrilla Alumnae and Liceo parent

What

are the

when

learly, there are many. However, to my mind, it is instructive for schools to focus upon these two issues: regenerating confidence among our families; and implementing smart operational procedures at the school level. The second is more tangible than the first: fused, they allow us to get back on our educational feet. In the first place, our schools (the world over), are beholden to the authorities. Educators, as a key part of the greater society, watch our respective political masters with great care. In the case of Mexico, we were obliged to close down for well over a year, waiting for the promised “green” indicated by both the federal and state government health traffic lights. In the meantime, swiftly designing an online system of lessons, mostly via Zoom, and occasionally dealing with the challenge of poor internet connections, we hoped against hope that all would soon be well. In Mexico the whole nation’s confidence was shaken by how deadly COVID could be, of course, but it also became apparent that ‘perfect’ conditions might never appear, and so the much-vaunted green rule was relaxed. It was noted that children were desperately in need of their old routines. Put another way, actually contracting COVID was not the only harmful effect of the pandemic. The health of the mind, we were reminded, was as important as the body’s. So, we are back. At last. Most schools, including ourselves, have taken first steps with hybrid models of instruction. (More on this to follow, naturally…) The reality is it is up to schools to reconstruct confidence at their very local level: indeed, desired or not, the role has been given to us by the Ministry of Education. I am of the 16| November 2021

former mindset, for we believe we know our school community the best. Thus, our three constituents - the families, the children and our staff - all need to know that their welfare is taken very seriously indeed by us. A key challenge in rebuilding confidence when returning to live teaching has been clearly communicating the medical know-how and best practice to our concerned families. Our own school doctor, and other doctors in our community, have done marvels with this. Just a quick glance at the news will show, even now, that there are gainsayers in society, doubting the very need for, let alone the efficacy of, the new vaccines. All necessary hygienic measures have been explained to our families and staff, and successfully implemented. (We have back for weeks now and just a handful of Covid cases in our school families detected.) Apart from the commonly known measures – including the gel, frequent handwashing, social distancing, Group A and B days, separated classroom ‘bubbles’ – we have required the parents to be very much involved at home. Our medical QR code questionnaire gets filled in daily, sent into school before the child arrives. Children’s temperatures are checked at home and again at school, also on a daily basis. Is all this time-consuming? To a certain extent, yes. Yet, that challenge has been met. It is, though, far better than the alternative, namely closing down bespoke bubbles for at least a week. Or, were cases of Covid to take over, closing down the school in its entirety. The second thing I highlighted in my opening addresses how one handles operational matters. So, in reopening schools, an important challenge we educators face is to be sure one’s staff know exactly what is being planned by the school, and why. I have found our teachers have been

Back in Form

Tom M. J. Wingate V. Head Teacher The Wingate School, Mexico City magnificent in the way they have implemented their various curriculums using the internet. Cheerful, committed, flexible, and creative: these descriptive words readily come to my mind. (As the old British ditty about the Duke of York has it, teachers were marched by us to the top of the hill, and, returning to live teaching, they now are being marched down again!) They therefore fully deserve both praise and transparency from their line managers. As a British-international school, I should add here that our teachers have had the added challenge of making recently arrived pupils feel at home. Coping with a new land, school, teachers, friends and, sometimes, a new language, and all wrapped up in new anti-Covid protocols, is a mighty tall order for these children. Our hybrid model for 2021-2022 started with two days on campus. (More permitted for our ‘Kinder superbubble’.) Only now, a few weeks later, are we moving to three days face-to-face in Primary and Secondary. We have tried to keep more ‘academic’ teaching online, thereby boosting the opportunities for pupil socialization on campus. Alongside teaching synchronous and asynchronous classes with Zoom, we have found Google Classroom to be a very good ‘online diary,’ as when recording the setting and assessment of home learning assignments. Now, successfully weaning the pupils off myriad lessons shared via computer screens, and

gradually returning to many more live classes, perhaps is the greatest challenge they – teachers, the real face of the school – encounter. Our new normal. Research continues to show that the well-prepared ‘live teacher’ remains our greatest educational asset, however handy an adjunct technology may be. In like fashion, as a head teacher, I always aim to pay attention to the pupils’ voices. And, during a pandemic, more than ever, we have to stand in their shoes. How resilient and ﬂexible we have asked them to be! While they have much enjoyed seeing their peers back at school, the transition is a curious one for so many of them. Despite looking as though they are back within the old rhythms of school life, much self-adjustment is required. Truth to tell, the long lockdown mentally has challenged so many of them. They now need to understand that the ‘bubbles’ are for real and a properly calculated safety measure, not there to impede nor frustrate them. To achieve the right social distancing is an ongoing, practical challenge, especially as they assemble outside to enjoy their breaks. We have just celebrated Mexico’s Independence Day with “El Grito” (the shout). This year, I would like to add to that tribute a special salute to all our pupils. “Viva!”

www.theknowledgereview.com | 17

The

Wingate School Strive, Learn, and Serve

hat are the basic needs of human life? For most of human history, the answer was food, clothing, and shelter. However, in our modern age, another vital one was added to the list: education. Education is not only important for individual progress, but also it accelerates the enhancement of its surrounding community. In today’s world, schools have become a second home for their students. Moreover, highlighting the importance of schools, Abraham Lincoln once famously cited, “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” With the passage of time, schools worldwide became an indivisible part of the society. Historically, the vast majority of schools have bettered their respective societies. To follow in their footsteps, Mr Tom Wingate and a small group of other British-trained educators established The Wingate School (TWS) in 2016. It is a British 18 | November 2021

International School located in Mexico City, an institution committed to offer a programme focused on academic excellence, innovation, and individual development. With the purpose of delivering a world-class education, TWS aims to form a community of critical thinkers who have both a diverse perspective and strong social commitment. About the School TWS is located in semi-rural Huixquilucan, a beautiful green site of around 11,000 square metres, on the western edge of the metropolis. Situated by a large and wooded ranch, its physical campus has continued to grow. Pupils are taught in its two multi-floor blocks - Kinder and Primary, and a brand new Secondary - along with two large basketball courts (one being roofed) and two even bigger fields.

The Most Remarkable Schools in Mexico

Once fully developed, TWS will be a K through 6th Form institution. Its Form 3 was opened this August. The school roll, representing many nationalities, currently touches 400 pupils and, in time, will grow to 850. TWS now employs 80 members of teaching, administration, and ancillary staff. Mission and Vision In developing and promoting its vision and mission, the very experienced leadership team at TWS has collated and applies best practice from around the world. The heart of its mission statement stresses how the school continues to work hard, to provide teaching and learning that are second to none. In addition, the school pays close attention to its hiring process, aligning its institutional needs with the career development of teachers who approach it. The academic staff, who also hail from around the world, work with the IEYC, the International Primary Curriculum, and Cambridge courses (80% of the teaching is in English). “In time, we will be adding the International Baccalaureate,” said Tom. Speaking of his colleagues delivering the curriculums, he commented, “Collegiality practised between and among the staff is an essential school spirit.” Promising Learning Experience Tom shared his views about the work culture – “Our educational priorities must grow directly out of our vision and mission. Our children should be happy, inspired, respectful, and generous with others, and committed to their

personal and academic development. Our teachers and mentors, then, must be with them every step of the way, encouraging, teaching, and guiding.” Underpinning everything at TWS, working with an Advisory Board, is the desire to be a highly professional institution that positively touches lives. To this great end, all administrators and teachers at TWS fuse their academic curriculum with the School of Character, using myriad daily opportunities to teach ‘the whole person’ how to live an ethical, committed, and contented life. Once part of the school community, pupils soon learn that respect is the core value of the school.

We are very conscious of our wider community and the opportunities that it provides

www.theknowledgereview.com | 19

The leadership at TWS, Tom emphasises how it really is about the administrative team. He believes that a closelyknit administrative team, which the school possesses, is the best way to arrive at effective decisions and action. Outside the Classroom TWS does not just exist within its walls. Extra-curricular activities, of which there are many, from chess and gardening clubs (the latter RHS Level 4 out of 5), to robotics and many sports, also offer distinct experiences through social responsibility activities. Tom says, “We are very conscious of our wider community and the opportunities that provides. Thus, our social responsibility work is burgeoning. In the pueblo near our campus we, and the PTA, have an active relationship with the old folk’s day centre. Visits made by the children there are reciprocated, especially on festive dates in the Mexican calendar.” Parents who apply to the school typically focus on a high level of English, an excellent academic level provided across the broad curriculum at the school, plus the values the teachers actively teach. Music is extremely important to TWS team, too. Up to 2020, and alongside their choirs, every child in the school, starting at Pre-First, played the violin, viola, cello, or double bass. Since then, other artistic options have provided even more choices. In short, in terms of learning outcomes, when the time comes for the pupil to leave TWS, he or she should be a very well-prepared, confident young person, quite ready for the next challenges in life. Whatever else the pupils go on to learn, as they ought, their experiences at TWS will remind themselves to be the best they can be in whatever role life provides. Inspiring Leadership Tom Wingate, the Head Teacher, has enjoyed a wide experience in many schools, principally in the UK, Mexico, and the USA. This experience has undoubtedly helped to maintain the momentum of this relatively new project. Along with that experience, both in the classroom (he began as a teacher of English) and in his many administrative roles, during his long career he has acquired four educationrelated degrees. Among his many active roles in the past, he ran the big intake Year 9 at the world class City of London School in the 2000s. While there at CLS, he also coached successful public speaking and debating teams, including the ESU 2006 International Debate Champions. 20 | November 2021

Close by, the pupils interact with the local primary school, most obviously in the annual World Cup Football Tournament held at their campus. Importantly, TWS’s pupils mix with theirs in the same teams – all teams being given national identities – to compete for and win the trophy. “Naturally, the high participation rates we see are closely connected to the skill and enthusiasm with which the extracurricular activities are presented by our staﬀ. One activity automatically is included in our school fees, too,” Tom added. Blending Best of Old and New Methodologies In this Age of Technology, modern life is evolving so quickly. As a school, however, TWS does not throw out the tried and tested methodologies in teaching its children. While there is no magic ‘silver bullet,’ resolving all, the search for best practice, blending the best of the old and the new, is a constant one. The Google Chromebooks and smartboards used at TWS are wonderful adjuncts to the skills of its highly professional teachers. In other words, they really assist but still do not replace the teacher. Ties That Bind TWS already is a fully-accredited Cambridge International School. It also is a proud member of the Mexico City Schools group, the Educational Committee of the British

The Google Chromebooks and smartboards used at TWS are wonderful adjuncts to the skills of its highly professional teachers Chamber of Commerce, and the LAHC (Latin American Heads Conference). TWS also works closely with the Anglo in the city to promote professional development within its staﬀ, believing everyone to be a lifelong learner. In turn, the Anglo works with the University of Buckingham, UK, in awarding post-grad qualiﬁcations. Developing its programmes, the School of Character connects with two other UK universities: the Jubilee Centre at the University of Birmingham, and the University of Leeds. Dealing with the Pandemic Talking about the pandemic, Tom shared his experiences. “The whole world asks how schools can adapt to the challenges that Covid generates. Our primary duty as educators is a duty of care: we take all the obvious steps to ensure Covid does not spread. We have taken a cautious route, too, using a hybrid curriculum model of our own design, rather than hurrying back.” “Covid aside, it is very apparent that the health of the children must take into account their mental well-being. By socializing and by staying engaged, a child can remain happier and can learn well. Whenever online, using zoom, TWS teachers have been and are highly creative regarding how to present their lessons’ content.” TWS has grown, even in these awkward times, and the management is willing to continue with its building programme, adding a 6th Form and an Arts block within three years. If it were larger than the target of 850 pupils, TWS is of the opinion that they would lose that critical individual touch.

The big ranch right by the school – the land partners – are developing a large sports club in the next two years. It is only the beginning, but it is clear there will be fantastic opportunities for synergy between the club’s facilities and the school’s Physical Education programme. Paying attention to the future, Tom expressed his view succinctly, saying, “Facilities represent one thing only. Our resolve is not to lose sight of our vision and mission, of who we really are.”

22 | November 2021

Edu-Trend

Emerging Trends in the

Mexican Educational

Sector

www.theknowledgereview.com | 23

e often believe that investing money in the solution to fix the problems to provide education but if we invested that money into the development of education, it can be the first step to achieve the success.” In recent times, we have seen the problems in the education system of Mexico City but looking at the factors like: Ÿ Fifty percent of the children are living in poverty. Ÿ Not every child knows the Spanish language but incore they speak sixty-five different languages. Ÿ Only 60-65% of the population is financially stable to invest in educational gadgets. Ÿ The percentage of unemployment is still rapidly increasing since Covid-19. It is not easy to solve these problems in a day or two. The federal government of Mexico is looking into these factors since 2012 and many of the educational organizations are acting upon them to solve these problems amid Covid-19. The President of Mexico made the vow in demand of education by setting up various new plans to build one hundred universities across the country with a statement, “Every person has a right and should be educated with proper and quality-assured knowledge.” Since then, the people of Mexico are looking at the progress in an education system that provides knowledge from preschool to elementary which is free for the students living in poverty. The growing number of HEIs provides quality education and programs for the high school graduates in their international student mobility which provides the students with a chance of international placements in topnotch countries like U.S.A, Germany, U.K, and Australia. The new and major investments in developing a country with its infrastructure, the financial support is becoming stronger, new HEIs are coming into existence and training the students on becoming competitive by its prioritized international education. This improvement enhanced the national curriculum as it now includes studies of language like Spanish and other international languages, other subjects like mathematics, social studies, art and craft, science, with expertise by assisting students and providing the relevant information. The under-graduate students are learning new subjects which include technical specialization in fields like agriculture, business, computer science, nursing, or tourism, whereas the post-graduate studies are highly focused on a mainstream target of professional development and scientific research, and this has created opportunities among the students to jump in the educational sector in their early age. 24 | November 2021

This journey of improving Mexico’s education system has led itself into a new development era. Even in the crucial time of COVID-19, people were able to attend their lectures, with the help of internet availability to all the students. The subjects which the universities are focusing on are opening doors for students globally for their admissions in these educational institutions. The technology has its crucial role in setting up new forms to provide education to the students with an exceptional opportunity to develop distant learning tools, online classrooms, which is eventually resulting in an increase of K-12 education which include applications, digital content as well as the software, which is required for school administration process, drastically giving a rise to other facilities like community colleges and boarding schools for Mexican students. Amidst the Covid-19 outbreak, Mexican and other International HEIs came up with an idea of VR (Virtual Reality) classrooms, providing students new experience of learning. Looking at this development in the country’s educational sector, we can imagine about the bigger picture about the country focused on increasing the literacy rate, favouring the citizens of the country, and providing them with quality education. The investments which were introduced for the development of an education system are getting successful feedback as these subjects are according to the interests of the students. The amenities to which all the students are getting an access within their universities are helping them out to learn and explore new things. We can see an active participation of Mexican educational institutions in regional and bilateral programs which is improving good relations and financial stability with western and other international institutions. Looking at the efforts of the federal government is maintaining and building new relationships with educational institutions, agencies, and grant institutions due to which the students are increasingly showing their interests towards quality education programs abroad. The social media channels are also utilizing their platform as an effective recruitment tool to promote academic programs to Mexican students, to enhance the reach and create a new image about education and keeping them updated about the latest trends in the Mexican educational sector. T R

The

between

Parents and Teachers for the Academic and of

Students

Monica Almanza Director of Kindergarten Winpenny School

28 | November 2021

Veteran’s Voice

hroughout the history of society, the teacher has been considered a knowledgeable person, a role model and the backbone of society by providing the power of education to apprentices or students from all around the world. The role of the teacher is relevant because they prepare generations for the future, they mold students by providing skills and knowledge that will bring learning to life, allowing humanity to develop and evolve cognitively which has allowed countries to also develop socially and emotionally. For centuries, teachers were highly regarded, and parents trusted their wisdom to educate their children. In our modern society, teachers have become facilitators and most parents enjoy collaborating with their children’s teachers. This collaboration ensures students receive the best education possible, by working as a team around the child. This partnership promotes the development of the whole person by addressing the emotional, social, ethical and academic needs of students in a comprehensive way that will allow them to develop 21st century skills, soft skills, empathy, compassion, and all aspects deemed necessary to form a human holistically.

As in any situation, crisis also brings opportunity. One of the positive aspects of the pandemic is that it redefined the role of the teacher - and technology - in a world experiencing lockdown. The complex role of teachers is highly appreciated and seen as a skilled and essential job by a large majority of the world’s population. And rightly so, as teachers are the most relevant aspect of student learning. Schools, teachers and parents needed to quickly adapt and be flexible and creative to dive in uncharted waters; to switch from learning in school to learning online. Schools realised the essential role of teachers and supported them to work online with tech equipment and training, because they became the new school from home. Even when private international schools in Mexico and Latin America were experiencing economic strain, most schools focused on prioritising human value. Schools developed strategies to maintain their staff without reducing salaries, and financial plans to protect and support families. Both families and educational professionals also realised how much being together in school was something we took for granted. In Mexico, schools were closed for 18 months. We have accomplished a lot in these months, and we are still working on closing the gaps caused by three disrupted school years.

About the Author Monica Almanza was born in Mexico City and lived her early years in New York, USA. She has worked in the world of education since she was 18 years old, when she taught a group of children after school. Since she was a young girl, she discovered that her calling and mission was teaching, sharing with her disabled brother everything she learned at school. She has a BA in Preschool Education and a BA in Law, and she studied MA programmes in Law and Bioethics, and in Special Education. After experiencing teaching in K1-G12, she concluded that her passion was in Early Childhood education. She has worked in international schools in Mexico City, as a Class Teacher and in various leadership positions. She currently holds the positions of Director of Kindergarten at Winpenny School Mexico City, where she has worked for 8 years. Monica conducts herself with a high level of commitment, ethics, conﬁdentiality, and a genuine interest in ensuring the well-being of her students, parents, and teachers. www.theknowledgereview.com | 29

Worldwide, schools and education professionals have learned what was essential for our students and how flexible, adaptable, and resilient we could be. We have learned that humans need to develop social-emotional skills to survive and be healthy, physically, mentally and emotionally, not only learn core academics. Education is so much more than just learning academic concepts. Schools and teachers not only offer academic knowledge, but they also have a relevant role in their students’ social and emotional development by listening attentively to them, comforting them, mentoring them and offering selfless guidance to form students with principles, character and responsibility so that they are productive and ethical global citizens. Children develop healthy social-emotional skills from positive and nurturing role models and these skills help students accept and adapt to any challenges, risks or threats. In Mexico and Latin American countries, the culture is nurturing, caring, social and openly affectionate. During the pandemic we realised that it was extremely important for teachers to promote and fortify bonds with their students, to help them cope with being confined and limited from socialising. Now more than ever, across the globe, social and emotional skills have been given the same relevance as academics, because they are vital for human development. Adaptability and resilience have become survival tools in the pandemic context, and this is why educators need to integrate social and emotional learning into the curriculum as a daily practise. We need to focus much more on how students are feeling and how we can connect emotionally, in school and online. It is essential to keep focus on socialemotional skills and student health, to build a sense of community, be responsible for yourself and others, and to promote student autonomy and learning skills. As well as redefining the teacher’s role as an essential professional, humanity placed technology for education at another level. Several platforms allowed the continuity of education, from one day to another, during online learning and substituted the traditional classroom. We have learned to switch from the physical classroom to the virtual one, back and forth, and it has now become a part of our practise as educators, in Mexico, Latin America and the world. It has become clear, however, that technology can never replace teachers. Technology is meant to support schools, teachers, and students. We need to continue providing tech training for all educators, high-stakes testing, and change 30 | November 2021

evaluation models. In the future, there will be an increase in different models of learning, which educators need to learn and address. In addition, there will also be an increase in digital education materials that schools need to provide. For the past months, educators have learned and collected important data to better handle a crisis in the future. We learned that Preschool and Kindergarten students have the hardest challenge regarding online learning, because their development is affected by lack of play and activities to develop motor, language, social, reading and writing skills; nonetheless, we observed that these young students, as well as Primary students, developed self-help skills and a sense of autonomy. We also observed that students need more choice in Secondary and High School for how they learn, and many schools explored the possibility of online global learning platforms, which allow for increased student choice. Of course, these students still need supervision and guidance, but they are old enough to know what works best for them and how they learn. International schools across the world learned that, regardless of the grade level, some students loved online learning and some students desperately needed in-person education. Online students and teachers have found comforting the possibility to join class from different settings and we have seen schools allowing for more mobility. Students and teachers can move around to different cities or countries and still have a classroom community. Overall, the pandemic crisis has opened a window to rethink the future of education. Evidently, online learning will continue to be part of the process, and this will lead us to discuss new educational methodologies. As mentioned before, technology can never replace human contact, but we can foresee that the regular classroom in most private schools in developing countries will have more tech resources. In these countries, it will be necessary to promote the creation of public policies so that public schools can also have access to resources and technology. It seems that college education has already started a transformation and students are starting to opt for online higher education. Without a doubt, the Covid crisis has revolutionised the educational system and we will see its effects in the near future.

WINPENNY SCHOOL Developing Well-Educated, Creative, and Responsible Learners

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The Most Remarkable Schools in Mexico

exico is a leading educational hub, providing students with tremendous opportunities to learn, grow, and build bright careers. It houses some of the most remarkable schools, which provide exceptional educational facilities with a blend of cutting-edge infrastructure. These noteworthy schools deliver their very best to transform students into leaders of tomorrow. They embrace innovation and excellence while delivering lasting educational experiences. One such prominent school, which is acting as a beacon of light for Mexico's education system, is none other than Winpenny School. It provides a loving, caring, nurturing, and harmonious environment, where students get to explore themselves and transform into professionals.

Winpenny ﬁrst opened its doors in November 1992. Its original location was a four-bedroomed house in a beautiful, colonial neighbourhood in Mexico City. Miss Marian Winpenny and her eldest son, Melvyn T. Winpenny, founded the school with only ﬁve children. Due to Miss Marian's reputation as an excellent English educator, the school quickly expanded. Today, Winpenny is one hundred times bigger. It is a kindergarten through grade 12 school with over 550 students in kindergarten, primary, and secondary sections. The school is housed in a modern, purpose-built school building between the burgeoning modern business and residential districts of Interlomas and Santa Fe. The founders, Mr Melvyn Winpenny and Miss Marian Winpenny, still govern the school. Winpenny School will soon be launching a second campus in Ciudad Mayakoba on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

We aim to be a leading British International School using contemporary approaches to teaching and learning

Winpenny helps the students to make informed choices and gives them opportunities to make a diﬀerence through service and action, to help their communities - class, school, city, country, and the wider world. The school encourages its students to communicate their ideas creatively, make inspired choices, and solve problems. Winpenny students appreciate the value of making mistakes. The students work in English and Spanish, learning knowledge, practising skills, and making connections across the curriculum. It develops international-mindedness and the values and personal skills represented by the IPC Personal Goals and IB Learner Proﬁles. The school inculcates in the children qualities such as being adaptable, a communicator, a collaborator, a thinker, ethical, respectful, resilient, and empathetic – skills for the 21st century and beyond.

Unlocking the Creative Side Winpenny provides an exciting, relevant inquirybased international curriculum that encourages students to be curious about their world. Students at Winpenny develop strong foundations in all subject areas - linguistic, scientiﬁc, mathematical, and artistic. It prepares the students for conﬁdent, independent, and lifelong learning.

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Our emphasis is on developing well-rounded, conﬁdent individuals with high academic standards

and choir from the Winpenny Music Academy. In addition, the school provides a variety of fun, academic, sporting, and artistic activities every term - art, drama, Model United Nations, Portuguese, Student Council, volleyball, and table tennis. It provides various oﬀerings depending on the interests shown by the student body.

Presenting the Dynamic Duo The personalities responsible for taking Winpenny to tremendous heights are its Co-Founders, Miss Marian Winpenny and her son, Mr Melvyn Winpenny. They have sought to provide high-quality international education in the heart of Mexico City for the last 29 years. They believe that tradition and family values are as important as excellent international teachers, modern teaching methodologies, and innovative technology. In addition, they believe in creating an environment where children feel valued.”At Winpenny, the importance of social and emotional learning, positive relationships, empathy and kindness towards one another are emphasized and practised. With 29 years of experience in the educational ﬁeld, Winpenny School's reputation and success speak for themselves!" express Miss Marian and Mr. Melvyn. Going Beyond Textbooks Winpenny not only focuses on providing exceptional academic facilities but also provides students to explore extracurricular activities. Accordingly, it oﬀers a core of afternoon activities throughout the school year, including dance from Danza – Talento en Movimiento, football from the International Football Academy Mexico, and orchestra

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Children who need extra support to develop their English skills have expert tutoring after school. In the classroom, teachers use strategies for English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners in every lesson. The school trains all its teachers to teach EAL learners and encourages them to use cooperative learning strategies to develop talk in the classroom. Making Students Future Ready Winpenny inculcates 21st century skills among the students to ensure that they are prepared for college and can successfully participate in the world of tomorrow. Beyond technology and academics, these are the soft skills needed to participate in the global economy of the future. The students participate in the Student Council, Model United Nations, local community and worldwide initiatives related to their IEYC, IPC, IMYC and IB units of inquiry. A Decorated School Winpenny is approved by both Cambridge University and Fieldwork Education, which allows it to teach their programmes. In kindergarten, it teaches using the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC). It uses the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) in Primary, and the International Middle Years Programme (IMYP) in Secondary standards. Winpenny is authorised to teach the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme to High School.

It is incorporated into the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). On January 21st, 2019, Winpenny School and UNAM celebrated an agreement to strengthen bilateral bonds between the United Kingdom and Mexico. With this agreement, UNAM validated the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) courses for Winpenny students. The students can also participate in the UNAM's cultural, academic, and sports activities and exchanges. Taking on the Pandemic Efficiently Keeping the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in perspective, in March 2020, the school successfully switched to online learning, which was challenging, interesting, fun, and engaging. Most of Winpenny's teachers are Google Certified Educators, and it employs Google Classroom and Google Workspace for Education to capture and maintain the students' interest in learning online. In August 2021, team Winpenny planned and developed protocols for a safe return to school including bubbles and building new classrooms to maintain a safe distance with small cohorts of children. "Should they wish to this year, parents may also opt to keep their child learning online," expresses the management. Some teachers have dedicated themselves solely to online teaching, whilst others focus on

We provide a loving, caring, nurturing, and harmonious environment

teaching students face-to-face. In its return to school this year, Winpenny is strengthening its students' socialemotional skills as well as focusing on gently bridging any academic gaps left by the pandemic. Marching Ahead Conﬁdently Speaking about the future, Miss Marian and Mr. Melvyn state that they envision a very bright future with the opening of their second campus in Ciudad Mayakoba, Quintana Roo. This world-class, 47,000 square metre campus will include a K-12 school with residential and summer-school facilities. The aim is to replicate the Winpenny philosophy and educational model in this idyllic coastal location. "Our Cuajimalpa campus in Mexico City will continue to be our ﬂagship school promoting international education, excellence in English and innovation in technology," declares the management.

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Career

Opportunities for Individuals after in Mexico

ola Graduadas and Graduados! (¡Hello Graduates!)

According to the Banxico (Bank of Mexico), the COVID19 pandemic took twelve million jobs in the year 2020. But not to worry. The good news is that the current time’s recruitment numbers are reaching to the pre-pandemic level riding on the speedy economic recovery as per the World Bank. Although there were 25.3% of graduates in the country in 2020, by next year, that is 2022, we may see an exponential increase in them. Because the country might make the higher education free by then. But even if they do, still you have 3-4 years before ﬁrst such batch comes out and compete with you. This is a very comforting news. Also, with the post-pandemic world pushing for digitalization, companies in Mexico are eager to hire wellqualiﬁed and technically skilled graduates from country’s private and public universities. The job market is widely

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open for highly skilled techies with professional knowhow and fluent English-speaking trait. And due to the Mexican graduates’ willingness to work remotely or from home at low price, American and Canadian companies are eager to recruit them. So, this is the best time to look for that dream career you were always chasing. As there are ample opportunities awaiting you in the job market. Sectors in Focus: Currently there are 242K jobs in the market offered by 39,981 companies from different sectors. These sectors include Commercial (28K+), Customer Service (24K+), Logistics (24K+), IT and Computer Technology (21K+), Retail (21K+), Economics and Finance (21K), Engineering (17.5K), and Production (11.5K+). As per the Adecco's 2021 Salary Guide, sectors such as Logistics, Distribution, Transportation, Production,

Career Focus

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Manufacturing, and IT were the top salary paying sectors, closely followed by jobs in IT

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Jobs in Focus: At present, there are around 242787 jobs occupied by employees with topmost job positions namely Sales Executive (19 hundred plus), Admin Assistant (18 hundred plus), Sales Advisor (16 hundred plus), Accounting Assistant (15 hundred plus), Warehouse Assistant (approximately 14 hundred), General Assistant (approximately 14 hundred), Storer (11 hundred plus) and Receptionist (9 hundred plus). Locations in Focus: Out of these jobs, more than 54K are in Mexico City, while Guadalajara has above 15K and Monterrey has 11K plus. Others below 10K are situated in places like Tijuana, Puebla, Zapopan and more. North-West region states like Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Sonora, and North-East region states like Aguascalientes, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas are the highest salary paying states. Top Earning Jobs: An April 2020-March 2021 survey found that during their ﬁrst job, four percent graduates earned more than 15000 Mexican pesos while 43% of them earned somewhere in between 3000 to 8000 Mexican pesos. While according to Adecco’s 2021 Salary Guide, the top ten highest salary paying jobs are Ÿ Infrastructure Management job from Aerospace Industry, with 72K pesos/month salary (Northwest) Ÿ Operations Management job from Construction or Real Estate Industry paying 70K pesos/month (Northeast) Ÿ Deputy Director of Operations job from Automotive Industry which again pays 70K pesos/month (Bajio) Ÿ Deputy Director of Operations job from Agriculture and Livestock Industry paying 67.5K pesos/month (again Northwest) Ÿ Customer Success Manager’s job from Production and Manufacturing Industry paying per month salary of 67K plus pesos (Metropolitan Region) Ÿ Deputy Director of Operations job from Trades Industry, with per month pay of 65.5K (Western area) Ÿ Technical Superintendent of Infrastructure job in Banking and ﬁnance sector and 65.5K pesos/month salary (Southeast) 38 | November 2021

Program Manager Supervisor job again in Automotive sector having 58K pesos monthly pay (Northwest) Customer Success Manager position in the Automotive sector with per month salary of 58K pesos (Southeast) Supply Chain Manager job from the Production and Manufacturing Industry 57K pesos/month salary (Northeast)

Career in Focus: Online Technology recruiting companies are keen on tapping the accelerated Digitalization scenario of the present. MNCs are now crowding the recruitment space, hiring engineers, tech developers, tech managers and tech controllers. Better opportunities mean better salaries. Mexico Tech Salary Report 2021, published by ‘CodersLink’ found out that for tech workers in Mexico, the growth in average annual salary is 4.7%. Compared to 2019 when average net monthly salary for senior positions was 78.5K pesos ($3,800), in 2021 it was 102.7K pesos ($4,968). At 27%, central region states like Cuernavaca, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla, and Tlaxcala, registered the biggest increase on the national aggregate. While at 21% Jalisco with Guadalajara, its tech powerhouse, was at the second place. In Guadalajara city companies like Amazon, HP, Intel, IMB and Oracle have already set-up their programming and Research and Development facilities. Compared to an average IT professional’s salary, remote workers in Mexico got 38% higher pay. Full Stack Developer emerged as the most-in-demand position across Guadalajara, Mexico City, Merida, Monterrey and Tijuanat the major tech hubs, as per the report. In Mexico, labor cost to companies is 67% lower than America, because of Labor arbitrage. Like in Mexico 57.5K pesos ($2,781) is the average net salary for intermediatelevel engineer (data scientist), while in America for the same role companies must shell out a whopping $33,372 annually. So, all in all, the career prospects look promising for fresh graduates. If they grab the right opportunity at the right time, it will surely make their career. With this positive note and with a big hope and best luck, we ask for your leave. Thank You. Gracias. T R