U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige yesterday joined Mexican Secretary of Education Reyes Tamez in co-chairing the annual meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission's education working group, and expressed his continued commitment to strengthening cooperation between the two countries on education issues.

The education working group focuses on increasing cooperation between the two countries to improve primary, secondary and postsecondary education. Goals include encouraging educational projects along the border region, facilitating the immediate school enrollment of migrant children and promoting teacher development. The working group also seeks to increase mutual understanding between Mexico and the United States through the exchange of students, teachers and faculty. In November 2002, the two secretaries formally renewed U.S.-Mexico bilateral cooperation on education issues during Secretary Paige's first foreign trip as secretary to Mexico City.

The meeting focused on a range of issues, including the United States' and Mexico's strong cooperation in the areas of migrant education, educational technology, higher education, special education and language acquisition.

"This annual exchange of ideas in education is more than tradition," Secretary Paige said. "We have so much to learn from each other. The United States and Mexico face an array of common educational challenges. In the U.S., while some of our students receive a world-class education, others leave school without the skills they need to compete for good jobs. We are especially mindful of the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their more advantaged peers.

"We have made tremendous progress in implementing the historic reforms of the No Child Left Behind Act. All across the United States, communities are making progress in reforming their schools. We are investing in programs that are inclusive, accountable for results, fair and quality-driven. We are focused on student achievement. That is the purpose for education reform—to place students first, to give them a high-quality education and to make sure no child is left behind."

The U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission was created in 1981 and is the primary mechanism for U.S.-Mexico cooperation and cabinet-level discussions on a wide range of topics. The commission meets annually, alternately in the United States and Mexico, and includes participation by several U.S. and Mexican government agencies. In addition to education, other working groups include migration, law enforcement and counter-narcotics, homeland security and border affairs, foreign policy, trade and economics, energy, science and technology, environment, natural resources, labor, health and housing.

"Our common challenges can and must be met with innovative solutions. Cooperation between our two countries has been significant in many educational areas. By continuing to share ideas, we will make progress in achieving our common goal of educational equity with quality. Our discussions, and more importantly our ongoing cooperation throughout the year, will help our children-and contribute to the prosperous future of our two great nations."

Following the Education Working Group, the 20th annual meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission took place at the U.S. Department of State, with Secretary of State Colin Powell presiding.

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