In a document known to EL TIEMPO, from the promoters of the draft Statutory Law of the National Government, it responds to Fecode’s objections about this initiative a few hours before the indefinite national strike called by the Colombian teachers begins.
The cessation of activities of public school teachers, which will begin on June 12, was promoted for different reasons, which according to Fecode, They go against human rights.
And after weeks of stagnation, so that the project could be unblocked and finally be voted on in the First Commission, the Government, as well as the opposition benches, particularly the Democratic Center and Radical Change, reached an agreement to change the articles , with which the vote could finally be carried out, which did not receive a single vote against.
Read also: (Fecode: Why does the teacher evaluation divide the Government and teachers, to the point of calling for a first permanent national strike in two years?)
Meanwhile, in the response document, the promoters of the project assure: “The statutory law does not establish the creation of bonuses for quality improvement, nor does it make clear mention of these in context. Although the bonds were a proposal from the presentation presented by Senator Paloma Valencia, it was filed in Commission I of the Senate and in the final text that was approved in the third debate there is no mention of the creation of bonds or vouchers”.
Another point raised by the Colombian teachers has to do with, according to Fecode, an attempt to reduce education as an essential public service. In their criticism, the teachers point out: “The reduction of education to an essential public service, with the background of ‘breaking Fecode’s back’, to point it out and stigmatize itburying the right to constitutionally protected peaceful mobilization.
Regarding this argument, the response document indicates: “The statutory law defines education in its article 2 as a fundamental right, a public service and a duty of all the people who live in Colombian territory. Therefore, there are no mentions or classification of education as an essential public service that could limit Fecode’s labor rights.”
On the other hand, Fecode assures that the National Government’s proposal seeks to create new inspection and surveillance entities in the educational sector.
Regarding this argument, the promoters of the government initiative assure that “article 9, in section c, states that the development of inspection, surveillance and control systems will be based on current regulations. On the other hand, new inspection, surveillance and control apparatuses are not created.”
Read also: (Fecode announces national strike this June 12 due to differences over teacher evaluation in statutory education law)
On the other hand, Fecode warns that the draft Statutory Law “seeks, without sufficient support or debate with the educational and academic community, to create the tertiary educational level, including higher education, with wording that
“regressively limit democracy and access.”
The response document states that this argument is false. “While article 18 of the bill creates tertiary education, this is not a new article per se, since it was even approved in the House of Representatives, it was also mentioned repeatedly in the public hearing held in the Senate of the Republic“.
And he adds: “On the other hand, there is no wording that could suggest that democracy and access are limited, on the contrary the wording that can be understood as flexible to allow different actors to provide this type of programs, without the fulfillment of prerequisites of education or training”.
EDUCATION EDITORIAL
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