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Mexico City Schools End Academic Merit for Flag Bearers
🇲🇽 Mexico /Culture & Society

Mexico City Schools End Academic Merit for Flag Bearers

From El Universal · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Mexico City public schools will no longer select student flag bearers based solely on academic excellence.
  • The new guidelines stipulate that the selection process will be managed by the School Technical Council (CTE), without considering grades, physical characteristics, or behavior.
  • Critics argue this change devalues student effort and merit, while education authorities state it aligns with the "New Mexican School" principles, promoting collective experience.

Student flag bearers for public schools in Mexico City will no longer be chosen based on top academic performance. The new Operational Guide for Basic Education Services 2025-2026 has removed the long-standing criterion of selecting students with the highest averages for school escorts.

The honor to our Flag develops patriotism, love for the country, respect for its people.

— Paulina AmozurrutiaA critic's view on the importance of merit in selecting flag bearers.

Under the revised guidelines, the selection process will be handled by the School Technical Council (CTE), disregarding academic scores, physical attributes, or behavioral aspects. The Federal Educational Authority in Mexico City (AEFCM) states that this change aligns with the principles of the "New Mexican School" (NEM), transforming the school escort from an exclusive, meritocratic act into a collective formative experience.

The new policy mandates that each escort will consist of six students, with their selection determined by the CTE. To encourage broader participation, the roles will be rotated throughout the school year in preschool, primary, and secondary education. This contrasts sharply with the previous guide, which required official escorts in primary schools to be composed of sixth-graders with the best academic records since first grade, even including tie-breaking mechanisms based on fifth-grade scores or special exams.

Carrying it should be linked to deservingness and honor. It is understandable that not all children are on the honor roll for academic reasons, but behavior, sports performance, or music could also be taken into account, but there should always be a conscious effort to have the honor of holding our Flag in your hands.

— Paulina AmozurrutiaPaulina Amozurrutia's argument for considering various forms of merit in selecting flag bearers.

Critics like Paulina Amozurrutia, founder of the civil organization Educación con Rumbo, view this modification as sending the wrong message about the value of effort. She argues that bearing the national flag should be linked to merit and commitment, suggesting that factors beyond academics, such as behavior or sports achievements, could be considered, but that a conscious effort should always be required. Amozurrutia believes that the responsibility of guarding the flag deserves special recognition within the school community.

The school escort ceases to be an exclusive or meritocratic act to become a collective formative experience.

— Autoridad Educativa Federal en la Ciudad de México (AEFCM)Official statement on the shift in the purpose of school escorts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Universal in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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