ve been held below $200 a month, causing many, to finally strike over the low pay. Salinas' government, however, cannot afford to offer too much to the union because of the effect it could have on the other government unions. Consequently, teaching and students suffer and Salinas must now confront the danger of social instability. To lessen this possibility, he has promised to channel some of the savings from any debt-relief he achieves and any sale of state-owned companies into ambitious social and public works programs. Money has been earmarked for the construction of schools, libraries, medical centers and sports facilities. But to many, such plans amount to token gestures. Porfirio Munoz-Ledo, a prominent left-wing senator, in referring to Salinas, says: "He swoops into these poor areas like a superman. But, in reality, the benefits are only a few (Gorman, 1989, p. 43).In conclusion, the problems facing Mexico's secondary education system are many and directly related to government support. Kovacs (1990) believes, that while there have been dramatic increases in school attendance and literacy, the reality is that the vast majority receive an average of only 3.5 years of schooling. And a true "educational revolution" would require profound transformations in state-society relations that respond to wider economic and political changes (p. 133). ReferencesBaker, S., & Zellner, M. (1989, May 15). Why Salinas must tame the teachers. Business Week 46, 50.Constable, G. (Ed.). (1985). Mexico. Amsterdam: Time-Life.Gorman, C. (1989, August 7). So what took so long? Time, 38.Katel, P. (1986, February 21). Two teenagers speak about their different worlds. Scholastic Update, 4-5.Kovacs, K. (1990, March). The quest for change in Mexican education. Current History, 117-120, 133.Laver, R. (1995, March 26). Mexico fights back. Maclean's, 38.Mexico in focus. (1988, November 18). Scholastic Update, 6-7.Mexico's two bigge...
