| Lack of investment in Tijuana public schools
(K-12)
|
Increased drop out rate, lower levels of educational
attainment making Tijuana less competitive and increasing the propensity
of residents to migrate to the United States in search of higher
paying "entry level" work. |
Opportunities exist to sponsor schools, provide
in-kind support and equipment to individual classrooms and scholarships
for students. |
Limited "After school" programs in Tijuana schools
and San Diego's Mexican migrant communities |
Increases the incidence of childhood/teen delinquency, drug use
and gang involvement which has binational consequences |
Investment in After-School Programs. Proposed Boys and Girls
Club of East Tijuana is working to become a reality. In San
Diego various non profits including MAC Project, The Boys
and Girls Club and Barrio Station are working
to make a difference but more support is needed. |
| Limited educational enrichment programs for Tijuana
area children and youth in the culture & the arts and sciences.
There is also an under-investment in public libraries |
Creates growing inequities among youth in the
region as those with fewer educational enrichment opportunities do
not achieve their full academic potential. |
Museo Interactivo del Trompo
now under construction in Tijuana; CECUT also provides
opportunities for enrichment but not scholarships. The Universidad
Iberoamericana has recently opened the Loyola Public Library.
Still other support, including more libraries and computer based learning,
is critically needed. |
Some Tijuana "Trans-Border" residents with a US address
or friend/relative in San Diego provide ability for children to
study in San Diego area public schools |
Contributes to greater cross-cultural diversity but also leads
to over-crowding of San Diego area schools, particularly those in
the South County. |
Problem Remains Unresolved. Improvements/greater investment in Tijuana's
public schools will decrease the propensity of Trans-border residents
to cross to San Diego to attend school. |
| Lack of trained bilingual teachers and cross cultural
exchanges in and between San Diego and Tijuana area schools |
Contributes to cultural and lingusitic barriers
in an otherwise growing binational region. |
Scholarship programs at universities to increase
the number of bilingual credentialed teachers. Investment in cross-cultural
exchanges such as the San Diego-Tijuana Sister City Society's
ArtBus- Xpress. Expanded cross-border teacher exchanges such
as the efforts now being undertaken by California State University
at San Marcos and the Universidad Iberoamericana
in the area of “border pedagogy" with three annual conferences
already having been held for San Diego and Tijuana teachers (K-12). |
Increased migration from Mexico's migrant sending
regions |
Leads to unique cultural adaptation challenges for public
schools in both San Diego County and Tijuana. For approximately 7.5%
of these migrant students, Spanish is not their native language. |
Culturally sensitive migrant education program including
parental education: Escuela Para Padres and Escuela
Para La Familia. In San Diego, El Cajon-based EJE
is meeting this challenge. Reading programs, such as San
Diego Reads, should be promoted binationally. In the North
County, the LISTOS program is bilingually providing
parental education. Through the California Project, San
Diego’s Office of Bilingual Education is partnering
with the Mexican Secretariat of Education to increase the literacy
of migrant parents and K-12. |