The president of the Association of Private Educational Entities (Ainep) says that private schools lost 140,000 students to public schools when forced to shut down during the pandemic, as reported in Diario Libre.
Former Education Minister Roberto Furcal was adamant against the reopening of schools during the pandemic days, despite the government gradually allowing most other places. It was not until Vice President Raquel Peña over rode his authority that the schools would reopen for the 2021-2022 school year.
Hector Molina, president of Ainep, says that 697 barrio schools closed during the pandemic. He explained the pandemic was the last straw in a series of events that have been affecting the small barrio schools in recent years. He said that the schools were already finding it hard to retain their better teachers given the competition of public schools. There is no tuition at public schools.
The public school system pays more to the teachers, and offers retirement plans and perks, and continuing pay raises. Public school children also receive free laptops and tablets, free meals and snacks and other advantages too costly for the small private barrio schools to offer.
Molina said that from 2012 to 2019, already 1,027 private school members of the association had closed.
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Diario Libre
13 July 2023