"We have now had some parents come forward and say that some children are charging their kids a "fee" for coming to school, said a director of a school located in the municipality of Escobedo, where several students came from other schools in an effort to escape from this situation.
"They charge 5, 10, 20 pesos, then it went up to 100 pesos for letting them get to school. They charge students and former of this school, "said the principal to the newspaper Reforma.
Another teacher said that there are students that have even received death threats. "The first thing they say (usually in low-income neighborhoods) is: My dad belongs to the Zetas criminal group and will kill you".
In another school that is located south of Monterrey Mexico, there was another case of a student who threatened students and teachers with a firearm, and who was even passed in all of his classes despite what grade he had in the subject. The student died a few weeks ago in a shootout.
According to figures from the National Safe School Program of 2012, more than 4,000 schools in the country reported 700 cases of extortion, physical violence, peer harassment, discrimination, theft, vandalism, verbal and physical attacks. As of April 2013, there have been a total of 245 juvenile's that have been processed for committing related crime.
Jorge.Guevara@sandiegored.com
Omar.Martinez@sandiegored.com
