Yucatán Students Return as CNTE Strike Ends After Month

Yucatán, Mexico — Following over a month of suspended classes and a series of protests that included blockades at the Tren Maya and symbolic takeovers of Chichén Itzá, more than 60,000 students in Yucatán will return to school on Monday, June 16. The resumption comes after the state’s Secretary of Education (SEGEY) reached an agreement with the Coordinadora Estatal de Trabajadores de la Educación de Yucatán (CETEY).

As part of the agreement, both parties established a permanent dialogue table to address priority issues and develop strategies for continuous improvement in the state’s education system. During the strike, more than 300 of Yucatán’s 3,278 schools remained closed.

Educational Context in Yucatán

Yucatán faces an illiteracy rate of 5.97% among residents aged 15 and older, with higher prevalence among women. In terms of educational coverage, net enrollment stands at 53.8% for preschool, 96.1% for primary school, 60.9% for secondary school, and 34.6% for upper secondary education. The state’s infrastructure includes over 3,600 schools across preschool, primary, secondary, and high school levels.

Nationwide Mobilizations

On Wednesday morning, CETEY members staged a protest near the Tren Maya’s Section IV in Valladolid, demonstrating support for ongoing negotiations with state authorities. Simultaneously, teachers gathered outside the Centro de Desarrollo Educativo (CEDE) in Ticul, while in Peto, demonstrators blocked the Mérida–Chetumal highway. Regional delegations also mobilized toward the state capital to monitor negotiations.

These actions follow a series of recent protests led by Yucatán’s teachers, including symbolic occupations of the archaeological sites of Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, and Ek Balam; blockades at Mérida International Airport on June 5; and the temporary reopening of the Valladolid–Mérida toll booth on May 30, allowing free vehicular passage.

That same day, teachers staged a symbolic closure of SEGEY’s headquarters and held a rally to present their demands. Earlier protests included demonstrations in Mérida’s Plaza Grande, where educators set up a temporary encampment with tents.

National Demands

These actions are part of a nationwide protest movement that began on May 15, centered on demands to repeal the 2007 ISSSTE Law and secure a 100% salary increase for educators.

The resolution of the strike marks a critical step toward restoring normalcy in Yucatán’s education system, though broader negotiations on teachers’ demands remain ongoing.