CNDH Addresses Recommendation to the Secretariat of Education of Chiapas for Failing to Comply with the Recommendation of the CEDH of that Entity

Personnel assigned to the UNICH violated the right of access to education, security and legality.

In January and February 2020, eight aspirants to the career of medical surgeon filed a complaint before the State Human Rights Commission of Chiapas (CEDH Chiapas) for alleged infringements on their human rights, consisting on violation of the rights to access to education, legal security and legality and non-discrimination, against public servants attached to the Intercultural University of Chiapas (UNICH), in San Cristóbal de las Casas.

The students agreed that, although they had the opportunity to access one of the 80 places in the bachelor’s degree of medical surgeon, by accrediting exams, and in some cases the interview, this was not possible due to multiple irregularities by UNICH personnel in the process of evaluation and admission to the career, giving priority to other students who were not entitled because of their low qualification.
After the investigation, the CEDH Chiapas found that the principle of legality was violated and that they were violations of the human rights to legal security, to education, to equality and non-discrimination, to guarantee of a hearing, to a simple and effective recourse to challenge, to access to information, and to equal opportunities and measures to favor intercultural education, committed against fourteen people, among them eight students.

Therefore, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) recommended the Secretariat of Education of the state of Chiapas and the UNICH to guarantee five students the admission to 2020-2021 school year of the Medical Surgeon Program and to grant three students to right to a hearing to review their exam and, if they had the necessary score, to guarantee their admission to the degree in the same cycle.

If it is not possible to admit five victims to the 2020-2021 school year, a scholarship should be granted in any educational institute, public or private, with a similar program, which shall consider expenses for lodging, food, transportation, study materials and other aspects required to pursue their higher education. The same would apply for the three more students, provided they meet the academic score.

More information:
https://www.cndh.org.mx/sites/default/files/documentos/2021-05/COM_2021_144a.pdf