Mexico gives a boost to education

Mexico's Cámara de Diputados, or lower legislative body, today approved a proposed constitutional amendment which will mandate a high school education for all students. The measure now passes to the legislatures of the 32 Mexican states (including the federal district) for formal ratification. Seventeen of those must approve it before it can be signed into law by president Felipe Calderón.

The proposed amendment was passed once before by the lower house, in December 2010. But the Mexican Senate made some minor changes to the law, which had to be approved by the deputies. They did so today by an easy margin.

Legislators say that by 2021, the plan for mandatory secondary education will be in place throughout Mexico. Currently, Mexican law requires only nine years of education. The new law will specify 12. Mexico has over 20 million citizens between 10 and 19 years of age.