Testing Teachers

Tomorrow, Mexicans aspiring to teach the children must demonstrate their competency in an exam, an unprecedented demand upon Mexican educators. In some states, the number of public school openings is far outnumbered by the applicants. For example, in Hidalgo, a small state not far from Mexico City, administrators will have their pick of the litter; there are close to 4,000 people competing for 18 spots. Assuming it's a clean process (not a foregone conclusion), the test is a huge step from the status quo, in which teaching spots are usually bought or inherited from family members.