Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestros

The Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestros (BENM) is a public higher-education institution in Mexico City that functions as a normal school (escuela normal) for the training of primary-school teachers. It belongs to the Subsistema de Educación Normal of Mexico City and is dependent on the Autoridad Educativa Federal en la Ciudad de México (AEFCM), operating through the Dirección de Educación Normal y Actualización del Magisterio (DGENAM) under the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP). Its principal task is the integral formation of education professionals at the primary level. The school traces its origins to the Escuela Normal para Profesores de Institución Primaria, founded on 24 February 1887 in the former convent of Santa Teresa la Antigua in the historic center of Mexico City and inaugurated by President Porfirio Díaz. In 1890 the Secundaria para Señoritas was converted into the Normal para Profesoras. In 1924 Lauro Aguirre took over the direction of the Escuela Normal para Profesores de Institución Primaria, renamed it Escuela Nacional de Maestros, and carried out a reform of the teacher-training curriculum, merging the school itself, the Normal para Profesoras and the Normal Nocturna into a single institution. The current campus, known as the Ciudad Normalista, was built between 1943 and 1947 on land adjacent to the Calzada México-Tacuba, on the site of the old Hacienda de Santo Tomás. The project was part of a broader educational plan under President Manuel Ávila Camacho and Education Secretary Jaime Torres Bodet that also produced Ciudad Universitaria for UNAM and the Ciudad Politécnica for the Instituto Politécnico Nacional. The BENM building was designed by architects Mario Pani, Esteban Hoyo and Ernesto Santillán, with sculptural work by Luis Ortiz Monasterio and murals by José Clemente Orozco. It was inaugurated on 6 November 1947 by President Miguel Alemán and served as the venue of the second UNESCO conference. In 1987, on its centenary, the institution was granted the title "Benemérita" (meritorious), the name it retains today. The BENM is recognized as the first normal school founded in Mexico City and is noted for its architectural beauty and educational quality. It offers initial teacher training for primary education, academic production including books and articles, social service, and cultural activities; it also hosted the regional dance workshop of Professor Hermilo Rojas Aragón and the Festival Son para Milo from 2002 to 2014.

The Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestros (BENM) is a public higher-education institution in Mexico City that operates as a normal school for the training of primary-school teachers. It belongs to the Subsistema de Educación Normal of Mexico City and is dependent on the Autoridad Educativa Federal en la Ciudad de México (AEFCM), through the Dirección de Educación Normal y Actualización del Magisterio (DGENAM), under the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP). Its main task is the integral formation of education professionals at the primary level. The institution's antecedent is the Escuela Normal para Profesores de Institución Primaria, founded on 24 February 1887 in the former convent of Santa Teresa la Antigua in the historic center of Mexico City. It was inaugurated by President Porfirio Díaz under the name "Escuela Normal para Profesores de Institución Primaria." In 1890 the Secundaria para Señoritas was converted into the Normal para Profesoras. In 1924 Lauro Aguirre assumed the direction of the Escuela Normal para Profesores de Institución Primaria, renaming it Escuela Nacional de Maestros and carrying out a reform of the teacher-training curriculum. This included the merger into the same institution of the school itself, the Normal para Profesoras and the Normal Nocturna. The educational project carried out under President Manuel Ávila Camacho and Education Secretary Jaime Torres Bodet involved creating three large higher-education campuses in different parts of the city: Ciudad Universitaria for the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, the Ciudad Politécnica for the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, and the Ciudad Normalista for the Escuela Nacional de Maestros. The latter two were located near the old Hacienda de Santo Tomás, in the western part of Mexico City, where institutions such as the Instituto Técnico Industrial and the Escuela Superior de Construcción already operated. The creation of the central campus of the ENM was entrusted to architects Mario Pani, Esteban Hoyo and Ernesto Santillán, on land adjacent to the Calzada México-Tacuba where a building of the Hacienda de Santo Tomás stood; that building was demolished. Construction lasted from 1943 to 6 November 1947, so it could not be inaugurated by its original promoters in the Mexican government. Advantage was taken of Mexico's hosting of the second UNESCO conference to complete the building, which served as the venue of that meeting. The inauguration was carried out by President Miguel Alemán on 6 November 1947. In 1987, on its 100th anniversary, the institution was named Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestros, the name it retains. The architectural complex follows a trapezoidal plan adjusted to the available land of the Hacienda de Santo Tomás. The current construction dates from 1924 and is one of the largest and most recognized works of Mexican architect Mario Pani Darqui. The Mexican sculptor Luis Ortiz Monasterio was invited to carve, on the monumental porticos of the facade on each side of the tower, seven groups of three figures in the white stone of the walls, each showing the development of Mexican history and universal culture. The Jalisco muralist José Clemente Orozco was asked to paint in fresco two murals in the vestibule leading to the tower, referring to the education of the humble people, and a painting based on silicates to cover almost four hundred meters of the curved wall of the Au... (as described on the official site). The BENM also hosted the regional dance workshop of Professor Hermilo Rojas Aragón "Milo," a teacher and promoter of Mexican traditional culture and dance, and founder of the Taller de Danza Tezcatlipoca. His students and colleagues Rodrigo Rojas Aragón, Consuelo Martínez and Virginia Aguilar decided to pay him homage in 2002, which ultimately became the Festival Son para Milo, held at the BENM headquarters until 2014.

• 2014

  The Festival Son para Milo was held at the BENM headquarters for the last time.

• 2002

  The Festival Son para Milo was first held at the BENM in homage to Professor Hermilo Rojas Aragón.

• 1987

  On its 100th anniversary, the institution was named Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestros.

• 1947

  The new campus was inaugurated on 6 November by President Miguel Alemán and hosted the second UNESCO conference.

• 1943

  Construction of the Ciudad Normalista campus began on land adjacent to Calzada México-Tacuba.

• 1924

  Lauro Aguirre became director, renamed the school Escuela Nacional de Maestros, and reformed the curriculum, merging the school, the Normal para Profesoras and the Normal Nocturna.

• 1890

  The Secundaria para Señoritas was converted into the Normal para Profesoras.

• 1887

  Founded on 24 February as Escuela Normal para Profesores de Institución Primaria in the former convent of Santa Teresa la Antigua, inaugurated by President Porfirio Díaz.

Mexico's first normal school in Mexico City; a public, state-run teacher-training institution recognized for architectural heritage and educational quality.

• Licenciatura en Educación Primaria

  Initial teacher-training program for primary education.

• Academic production (books and articles)

  Books and articles produced by the academic community.

• Social service

  Social service programs for students.

1. 1Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestros | BENM | Calz México-Tacuba 75, Un Hogar Para Nosotros, 11330 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Méxicobenm.mx
2. 2Nosotros | Benemérita Escuela Nacional De Maestrosbenm.mx
3. 3Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestroswikidata.org
4. 4Benemérita Escuela Nacional de Maestroses.wikipedia.org