This Thursday, at a press conference, the authorities of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Education addressed the problem of the lack of gas in at least 20 schools in the province.
The director of the Gas Network, Angel Domijanrecognized that This problem is old and that, as a provisional response, Heaters are being used to heat the affected classrooms as a temporary solution.
Leonardo Lucero, director of Survey and Building Needsindicated that it is evaluating the capacity of the electrical system to support the connection of the heaters and verify whether they are safe and suitable for use on school premises. As for the kitchen where food is prepared for different schools, Lucero reported that some kitchens have been enabled to at least be able to serve a glass of milk.
Mariela Lueje, Secretary of Education, explained that the survey of school buildings has been an arduous process due to the lack of specific reports detailing the overall conditions of the facilities. Regarding the decision of some parents not to send their children to school, Lueje emphasized that classes continue and that the responsibility falls on the parents. He stressed that the situation especially affects primary school children, who are the youngest.
Lueje too He pointed out that the distribution of the heaters to all classrooms is a late process due to the long duration of the acquisition process. Furthermore, he stressed that During January and February, when there were no classes, the surveys only showed part of the problems, which worsened with the beginning of the school year. Some schools face problems due to building expansions that did not properly consider the gas network, or because they do not have service at all. In many cases, During the surveys, pipes were replaced and acts of vandalism, intentional or not, that damaged heating appliances were identified.
Another challenge is the time it takes Ecogas, the province’s gas distribution company, in inspecting and solving problems in schools. Not only is work being done in these 20 schools, but in 52 buildings throughout the province. Some establishments are not enabled because the devices are not suitable, which leads Ecogas to restrict the service.
The person in charge of the Gas Network stressed that the glass of milk is guaranteed, describing it as “essential”. As to the possibility of bringing forward the winter holidaysthe authorities mentioned that no decision has been made yet, but could be considered whether the cold continues to be a significant problem heading into the peak of winter.
