- Fathers, mothers and guardians report that today the facilities do not have the minimum conditions for the development of classes.
With the new frontal system that affects the country, fathers, mothers, guardians and teachers denounce that, of the 54 educational establishments and 11 kindergartens managed by the Local Public Education Service of Valparaíso, 70% are in delicate and catastrophic conditions infrastructure, maintenance and shortage of inputs. They add that, with the rains, the campuses suffer flooding, wet and leaky rooms, which results in the relocation of students to other overcrowded spaces, suspension of classes and exposure to respiratory viruses.
Alonso Carvajal, president of the Union of Education Assistants, SITECOVA, postulated: “What do we ask to solve in the 15 SLEPs at the national level? The constitutional 2%, because it has already been occupied on two previous occasions. First he dealt with the pandemic, which is obviously justified. But the most unusual thing is that he works to strengthen Transantiago, which is a private company.”
Carvajal added that “then, in that logic, we are in favor of the constitutional 2% and thus invest directly in educational establishments. And the other thing, apply direct treatment because the tenders cost double or triple the real value when you want to carry out maintenance, conservation or repair of the establishments.”
Meanwhile, Lenka Montenegro, spokesperson for the Association of General Centers of fathers, mothers and guardians of Public Education Valparaíso – Juan Fernández, reported that today, for example, schools and high schools do not have universal access for people with reduced mobility and that the resources injected through the SLEP budget are not enough, delivering “patchwork” solutions and weak repairs.
He also assured that President Boric received their letter of requests, in which he requested “that he declare public education in a state of catastrophe and that the 2% funds be injected exclusively for the repair, reconstruction and conservation of the buildings.” of public education of the local education services, both in our commune, Valparaíso – Juan Fernández, and from Arica to Punta Arenas, those that are installed so that the process of installing the new Public Education law is a reality that does not threaten against the dignity of our sons, daughters and sons.”
The mayor of Valparaíso, Jorge Sharp, stated that “the situation of public education in Valparaíso, particularly infrastructure, is critical. This has been pointed out by the fathers, mothers, guardians with whom we have met recently to express all our support for a demand that they have raised for financing of infrastructure urgently, basically requesting the constitutional 2%, the exercise of that power of President Boric. Public education requires fresh resources to be able to recover not only in Valparaíso, but throughout Chile.”
Finally, Carla Sánchez, Buenos Aires councilor, emphasized that “historically, schools in Valparaíso, due to the precariousness of their construction, have been flooded. Since I was a student at a public high school, it rained in the classrooms and after 40 years it still rains the same. It is necessary that the government of the day, the State, take charge of fixing these spaces so that our students have dignity and can study in peace.”
