The day of national strike called by the Colombian Federation of Education Workers (Fecode) began, this time they took over Bogotá, to where thousands of teachers from all over the country have traveled to demonstrate.
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This demonstration, which began on June 12, has intensified on the eve of the Senate plenary session scheduled for Monday, June 17, where the modifications that have generated discontent among educators will be discussed.
Fecode, a strong ally of President Gustavo Petro, has made it clear that his protest is not directed against the National Government, but against the legislative changes that have occurred in the education reform bill and the senators who support them.
The “Great Takeover of Bogotá”, as they have called it, seeks to have their demands heard by the Ministry of Education and congressmen. Although some amendments requested by the teachers’ union have already been made to the reform, they consider that there are still items that must be debated.
At 9 in the morning the teachers met at four strategic points in the city of Bogotá, to begin your tour through the streets of the capital, which will conclude in the Plaza de Bolívar. “From today the buses of the delegations of our branch unions that will come to participate in the Great Takeover of Bogotá in the Permanent National Strike in defense of public education begin to leave. The flood of the Colombian teaching profession is coming to the Capital that seeks to sink the eyesore of the Statutory Law project. “Education is defended,” declared Fecode through his account on X.
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The Statutory Education Law, one of the main flags of the Petro government, seeks to guarantee education as a fundamental right and regulate it from early childhood to higher education. The reform aims to improve the coverage, quality and relevance of the Colombian educational system. Despite the initial support and approval in the third debate on June 5, the situation has changed dramatically with the opposition of Fecode.
The Minister of Education, Aurora Vergara, faces a crucial week in which this project must overcome its last debate before June 20. In this context, tensions have increased, and the mobilization in Bogotá is seen as a decisive effort by educators to influence the final vote.
Fecode leaders argue that the proposed modifications negatively affect their work and the fight for quality public education, a cause they consider fundamental for the country’s development. Well One of the articles that has caused the most disagreement among educators is article 39, which indicates that the results obtained by students in State tests (such as Saber 11) serve as an argument to evaluate educators.
The pressure on the Senate is intense, and the decision made this week will have a significant impact on the future of education in Colombia. The situation may change during the day as the marches advance and the final result of the reform is debated in congress.
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