"Everything is very expensive."
The expression has become common in everyday life to describe the
distressing situation
that a large part of society faces due to the
increase in prices
in all areas.
Within this panorama, education and health are the most sensitive problems.
Clarín
collected various testimonies from middle class families who are facing this dilemma.
To do.
And sometimes there is no choice but to make decisions that can undermine the quality of life.
People who
get off prepaid
, or who change to a cheaper plan.
Another who decides
to take her son out of private school or change him to a cheaper one
that she went to because she can no longer afford it.
Martín Zurita, Executive Secretary of the Association of Private Education Institutes of the Province of Buenos Aires (AIEPBA), confirms part of this panorama: "Until December, we saw an
increase in enrollment
in private schools with cheaper fees."
Zurita emphasizes: "Private education
is very important in our country
, it ensures the freedom of choice of families, plurality is very established in our country, it represents 30% of all Argentine enrollment, 35% in the Province of Buenos Aires. Aires, 51% in the City of Buenos Aires, 50% in Córdoba."
The impact is reflected in all areas and families are forced to make decisions.
Such is the case of Juan Toth, a construction remodeling worker, father of three children, who tells how economic difficulties led him to change his children's schools,
prioritizing private education
for the youngest.
Due to the crisis, there is already more demand in public hospitals.
Photo: Federico López Claro
"The oldest is in 3rd grade, the boy is in 1st grade in secondary school, and the youngest is starting 1st grade in a private school because the state primary school she went to is a disaster," he says.
Lucas Boyanovsky, councilor for Vicente López, explained the impact on student migration in his district and region: "Vicente López has 70% of its students in private schools, but we have observed
a significant increase
in public school enrollment in all the levels".
The councilor adds that "this phenomenon is not limited to the initial courses, but covers
all educational levels
. For example, we have registered a 20% increase in the enrollment of each provincial school. This change reflects the economic difficulties faced families, who can no longer afford the expense of private education."
Soledad Nocito (37), a university teacher at Vicente López, made the decision to change her son
from a private to a public school
due to significant increases in fees.
"Among some calculations that I made of possible adjustments and that did not increase for me in relation to inflation, knowing that the school could increase significantly, I decided to change it," she explains.
The rent increase also influenced his decision, since he
could not afford everything
: “It increased by 200% and I couldn't pay for both things.”
And he says that for the moment he maintains the prepaid, but they had to modify their daily routines in terms of expenses.
Due to the crisis, there are families who change their children to cheaper private schools or switch to public ones.
Photo: Orlando Pelichotti
Regarding the health sector, Boyanovsky highlights the increase in patients in public hospitals, both provincial and municipal.
"This increase is attributed to people who previously had prepaid coverage and
now seek care in the public system
, which is reflected in a 30% increase."
Marina (32), an employee of the City Government and a student of public policies, shares her experience: "Due to the adjustments and the increase in the price of social works, I decided to
unsubscribe
from Medicus, which reached 80 thousand pesos per month, and I opted for Sancor Salud, which is cheaper.
The changes in social works have generated uncertainty, affecting the possibility of choice and the associated costs.
Mabel Abreu, retired, had to
leave
Emeca Salud due to fee increases.
"She paid 3,000 pesos and now it went to 8,000 or so. Before it was every 6 months, last year; now they increase every month," she explains.
"We have had to take the kids out of school because
we can't pay more
. I canceled the prepaid plan and we modified the purchase of food. This, added to the fact that I am retired from the minimum and spend a lot on medicines," explains Mónica Fiorina, who also faced financial difficulties, having to make adjustments to its budget
Daiana Vazquez describes how the situation affects both the choice of social work and her daughter's education: "The new social work does not benefit me, it
is cheaper, but of poor quality
. With the issue of school, the fee was always increasing. This time it increased from 23 thousand pesos to 30, and now they sent us an email saying that it was going to 53 thousand pesos, so we'll see."
Martín Zurita shows concern for the reality that schools are going through: “According to the survey carried out in December, 200 schools stated that they had economic problems and 30 of them said that if these problems continued, their closure was very feasible.
Unfortunately those schools
closed for this
2024 cycle."
The crisis, also in the details
"There are no longer lines in the school canteen," says Miguel González, history teacher.
“I am a teacher in different schools in the City, in a teaching staff and at the University.
You see the crisis in the kids: there
are no longer queues at the school canteen
at recess time, the food they send to the schools is not enough and they are getting smaller and smaller,” reflects Miguel González (38), a school teacher. History.
He also says that, personally, he had to make changes to his routine to make ends meet.
And he highlights the mental burden that this situation implies, “services that were a priority, today are called into question, due to the cost they imply, such as health.
"The social works are bursting, the shifts that are obtained."
P.S.