Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro greeting students participating in his television show Con Maduro+, commemorating the start of the 2023-2024 academic year. Photo: Presidential Press.
Approximately 8.8 million children have now begun the 2023-2024 school year throughout Venezuela, according to a report made by President Nicolás Maduro during his television program Con Maduro+.
President Maduro elaborated in the report made this Monday, October 2, that 28,304 educational centers—both public and private—have opened their doors to receive students in their classrooms. Around 80% of them belong to the free, quality ensured, scientific, and humanistic public education system, while the remaining 20% are other types of schools, including private schools.
“When the Revolution began, it was the other way around. Only around 50% of children went to school, and there were so few schools at all. Public education was destroyed, to the point that it did not even reach 40% of current public establishments, and far more were privatized,” the president stated. “Chávez ended that, and with our Bolivarian Constitution we can guarantee not only totally public and free education for all children, but scientific and humanistic quality, training, and accessible, deeply compassionate officials to provide this wonderful thing.”
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President Maduro also contacted the José Avalos School, located in El Valle neighborhood of Caracas, during the program, in order to ensure the inauguration of the school year, as well as the refurbishing and repairs of the school.
The vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, reported that approximately 1,800 students from this school have started classes within its newly recovered infrastructure, thanks to the union of the organized local community and the work of the Military-Community Brigades for Education and Health (Bricomiles).
Rodríguez reported that the comprehensive refurbishing and recovery work consisted of improving high school facilities, lighting, recovery and provision of sports fields, delivery of school uniforms, and more, in order to be up to the standards of the public school plan.
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“I thank the Bolivarian National Armed Forces and our local organized communities for the work they have done to recover these schools,” added President Maduro. “We are going to recover 100% of all elementary and high schools, despite blockades, despite sanctions. We will continue with Bricomiles to completely rejuvenate our educational institutions.”
Minister Santaella’s statements
During a television interview on Sunday night, the Venezuelan minister for education, Yelitze Santaella, was asked about the complex wage conditions that Venezuelan teachers are dealing with. The minister responded that the government is very aware of the unfortunate wage deficiencies, and that it is working on solving this issue directly linked to the illegal US and European sanctions imposed on the nation.
Santaella also reported that the ministry is currently working on a program that would use QR codes to verify that teachers are properly completing their work shifts. This program has created controversy and public backlash, especially taking into consideration the already depauperated salaries of Venezuelan teachers, which has resulted in their need to hold alternate side jobs in order to create a livable income.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
