Starting the school year costs $497 per student, they estimate
Eric Ondarroa, national general secretary of the social and political movement Alianza del Lápiz, presented his consecutive annual report on Friday morning before the formal start of the 2024-2025 school year. He warned that it costs Venezuelan parents $497 to send each student to class.
As highlighted by the spokesperson for the Pencil Alliancethis amount represents 142 minimum wages, which translates into 12 years of work. Breaking down this figure, he mentioned that A single uniform, which includes a shirt, school pants, shoes and sneakers, is equivalent to $140.
«Today we have a government that lies to the country when it says that official public education is free, uniforms are not free. The outgoing minister (Yelitze) Santaella in September 2023 said that she would provide children with uniforms… What happened? “Lie,” he denounced.
Ondarroa added that textbooks and school supplies cost $317, that is, 91 minimum wages. He also included $40 dollars a month for transportation in these numbers.
«Costs increase each school year and the quality of teaching decreases; costs increase and school enrollment drops; costs increase and quality and benefits for Venezuelan teachers decrease. Costs up and the quality of teaching down«he lamented.
The leader said that teachers are still victims of this crisis. It showed that each educator must spend 308 dollars, equivalent to 88 minimum salaries, to fulfill their mission.
He sent a message to the Minister of Education, Héctor Rodríguez: “Tell me how the morale of a Venezuelan teacher like this increases (…) We have a Government that has been responsible for pulverizing salaries and destroying the purchasing power of Venezuelans.”
Press release information.
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