Mexican Principal Challenges Shamanic Content in Public School Curriculum

Rocío Martínez Ruiz, a veteran school principal and evangelical Christian, has publicly criticized the Mexican government’s New Mexican School (NEM) education model. She argues that official teaching materials introduce students to shamanic practices and supernatural concepts that conflict with Christian doctrine. The controversy centers on digital lessons that define shamanism and encourage students to perform rituals, including those involving the use of sacred mushrooms and the invocation of spirits.

Since August 2025, Martínez Ruiz has utilized social media to analyze the curriculum, warning that the current educational framework promotes a humanist philosophy that marginalizes religious faith. Her critiques have sparked a broader national debate regarding the role of traditional Indigenous practices in public education versus the values held by Christian families. While the Secretariat of Public Education maintains that the NEM model is designed to reflect Mexico's diverse cultural heritage, critics like Martínez Ruiz contend that these specific exercises cross the line into spiritual practices incompatible with their beliefs.