In the mid-20th century, the young teacher Mercedes Medina Díaz joined her school in Tías. She went to introduce herself to the mayor, which was required at that time. She found Rafael Cedrés under a truck, fixing it. This mayor, despite not being a highly educated person, did a lot for education in that municipality, and as social recognition for this work, the school in Tías bears his name.
This type of tribute is quite common in all professional fields. Thus, among many examples, in the world of healthcare, there are multiple centers with the names of healthcare professionals who stood out in their profession. Many libraries are named after writers. The world of education is no stranger to this type of recognition either; there are educational centers named after illustrious writers, outstanding professors, or other individuals significant in their work, for their contributions or values.
In this vein, 30 years ago, the name Mercedes Medina Díaz was given to a school in Arrecife located in the Altavista neighborhood, as it was considered that this teacher with a long and successful career deserved this recognition. During all this time, many students have been educated in its classrooms, which is why it has deep roots in that neighborhood, as this educational center is already one of its hallmarks. This teacher, now deceased, continues to contribute to education, as the bulk of her estate went to the foundation that bears her name, whose main activity is to promote education, offering financial aid to students who cannot afford their studies.
But times are changing; this center used to be a school, and a few years ago, it was transformed into a high school. Its educational community is entitled to propose a name change because they may consider it an adaptation to their new reality. As the old name was already part of the heritage of the Altavista neighborhood and Arrecife, many have expressed their disagreement with this change, which removes the teacher's name.
As in many other occasions, it is about combining the old and the new. On the one hand, there is social appreciation for the center and the teacher, as both are already part of our collective heritage. However, the center has changed its educational level; it is now a secondary education institute, and its educational community wants to reflect this in its name. A proposal is suggested that integrates the different opinions: naming the center IES Altavista Mercedes Medina Díaz. Possibly, a majority would be represented in this new name.
If the world of education does not recognize and honor its good professionals, who do we expect to do it?
Eduardo Núñez González.
