Narciso Bassols facts for kids

Narciso Bassols García (born October 22, 1897 – died July 24, 1959) was an important Mexican lawyer, socialist politician, and professor of law. He served as an ambassador for Mexico in countries like France, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. Bassols was known for helping to create the Popular Party (Spanish: Partido Popular). He is most remembered for his work in changing Mexico's public education system to be more focused on society's needs.

Narciso Bassols was born in Tenango del Valle, Estado de México. He was an atheist and the nephew of Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, a former president of Mexico. Bassols wrote the Agrarian Law of 1927, which aimed to improve agrarian reform (changes to how land is owned and used). He spoke out about the struggles of the Mayan people, noting their long suffering.

National University of Mexico Role

Narciso Bassols started at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Spanish: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) (UNAM) in 1920. He studied there to become a lawyer. In 1928, even before finishing his degree in 1931, he became the Director of the UNAM Law School. As Director, Bassols tried to change the school year to a three-semester system. However, students did not agree with this, and he had to resign. Bassols is also credited with starting the National School of Economics at UNAM.

Secretary of Public Education

In 1931, when he was 35 years old, Bassols became the Secretary of Public Education (Spanish: Secretaría de Educación Pública). This was a big step, as he was the first Marxist to hold such a high government position in Mexico.

Changes to Rural Schools

Bassols made many changes to the education system. He especially focused on how schools prepared students in rural (countryside) areas. Bassols believed that hungry students could not learn well. He also felt that education should help people improve their economic lives.

He thought schools should teach more practical skills and technical knowledge. This was partly because of a worldwide economic downturn in 1929. Bassols wanted schools to teach better ways to produce goods for local needs. To do this, he combined existing schools and centers into "Regional Peasant Schools." He hired Juan O'Gorman, an architect, to design 24 new schools. These schools were built between 1932 and 1935 in a simple, practical style. Bassols believed that improving rural education went hand-in-hand with his efforts for land reform. He wanted to give knowledge and skills to Indigenous people.

Role of Religion in Schools

During his time as Secretary of Public Education, Bassols worked to update the education system. He started to ban religious teachings in schools. He also ordered that religious iconography (religious images or symbols) be removed. Schools that did not follow these rules could be fined or closed.

Bassols argued that schools should teach "true, scientific, and rational knowledge" instead of religious lessons. He believed that the state should have more control over schools. In 1931, a law was passed that gave the government more power over schools connected to the federal system. This law also limited the church's role in accredited schools. It also meant that diplomas from non-affiliated schools were not accepted for state universities. Bassols also argued that members of the clergy (religious leaders) should not teach in affiliated schools. He felt they would influence young children too much.

Sex Education Program

In 1934, Bassols started Mexico's first official sex education program. This program caused a lot of anger from the National Parents Union (Spanish: Unión Nacional de Padres de Familia) (UNPF). The UNPF protested against the program. They even encouraged students to boycott (refuse to attend) the classes.

In May 1934, Bassols resigned from his position as Secretary of Education. In his resignation, he criticized teachers who opposed new rules about tenure (job security) and promotions based on a teacher's ability and performance.

Foreign Diplomat Roles

After leaving his education role in 1934, Bassols briefly became Secretary of the Interior. Then, he served as Secretary of Finance from 1934 to 1935. In 1935, President Lázaro Cárdenas appointed him as Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He served there until 1937.

Before becoming Ambassador to France in 1938, Bassols was Mexico's representative to the League of Nations. While there, he spoke out against Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia. He also called the Munich Agreement a "capitulation" (giving in) and "infamy" (a shameful act). He supported the Molotov-Von Ribbentrop nonaggression treaty. In 1939, Bassols resigned from his ambassador role. This was because he learned that Leon Trotsky had been given asylum (protection) by President Cárdenas in Mexico. Bassols felt betrayed by this news. He was representing Mexico in talks with the Soviet foreign minister at the time. The talks were canceled when the minister found out about Trotsky. Cárdenas tried to offer Bassols the position of Ambassador to Spain, but Bassols refused. He returned to Mexico and stayed there until 1944. In 1944, Bassols became the Ambassador to the Soviet Union, where he served until 1946.

Popular Socialist Party

In June 1948, Bassols, along with Vicente Lombardo Toledano, helped create the Popular Party (Spanish: Partido Popular). They did this because they felt there was corruption in the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (Spanish: Partido Revolucionario Institucional, PRI).

In 1949, the Popular Party took part in its first elections in Sonora. They won the election, but the government did not recognize their victory. Instead, the Popular Party was offered only one seat in the Chamber of Deputies. Bassols was very upset by this. He said the Popular Party should not accept "the crumbs of three or four seats." However, Lombardo was more willing to compromise. This disagreement led Bassols to leave the group and step down as Vice President of the Popular Party. The Popular Party later changed its name in 1960 to the Popular Socialist Party (Spanish: Partido Popular Socialista, PPS).

See also

In Spanish: Narciso Bassols para niños