Many were surprised by the modification that the Government made, last week, to the national budget.
In the area of education, what was involved was an increase of
$14,025 million for national universities
, $7,025 million for some of them, and another $7,000 million to finance expenses and scientific or academic activities.
Last year the issue of the national education budget had already generated controversy, when a study by Argentinos por la Educación showed that the bill presented in Congress contained
an adjustment of 15.5% in real terms
.
After the hubbub that this information generated and the pressure from sectors of Kirchnerism itself, the ruling party ended up incorporating two articles that did not add financing to the classrooms, but did
promise it for this year.
Two articles added shortly after the law was dealt with, and “in complementary time”.
Both authorize the Chief of Staff to
"make budgetary adjustments"
for education during 2023, and in one of them, more precise, it sets
in which programs and how much the amount should be
:
$95,166 million in total,
$59,542 million in Progresar Scholarships, $31,175 million in the Teacher Incentive Fund, $4,149 million in Education Infrastructure and Equipment, plus $300 million in Radio UNCórdoba.
With this, they said from the Government, there will be no adjustment in education.
Although, of course, everything will depend on how much inflation ends up being at the end of 2023.
Now, does last week's expansion for universities replace what had been arranged last year or is it added?
Neither of the two options, according to the Economy sources consulted by
Clarín
.
"The extension is pending payments from 2022.
It is debt from last year,"
they said.
And what about the "adjustments" that the Chief of Staff must make this year?
When will they be done?
From Economy they said that “they will be done partially.
As needed.
Because in addition, for the order of spending, the minister restricted the powers of the ministries to move items.
Before the approval of the Budget last year, Education Minister Jaime Perczyk had said that, if the law were approved, the Chief of Staff should make the corrections "on the first business day of January."
He still hasn't done it, although strictly speaking
the whole year is still missing
.
What remains is to be vigilant then that that part of the law is fulfilled.
These are the changes that were not talked about and that
are still missing in the educational budget
.
look too
Unesco recommends that university courses in Argentina be shorter
look too
The ambitious educational reform that Uruguay is starting, the role of unions and how Argentina could imitate it