Within hours of the national university strike called by teachers and non-teachers, demanding parity, the
Ministry of Human Capital
, headed by Sandra Pettovello and on whom the Ministry of Education depends, announced an increase in a
minor budget item in amount but key
for the logistical progress of academics.
"The university budget was increased by 70%," was the title of the brief statement that raised doubts about the size of the measure.
"Capital Humano confirmed the increase to cover
operating expenses
," the text clarified.
And then, he specified: "The measure was promoted by the Ministry of Education, through the Undersecretary of University Policies in order to
face the increase in
service rates such as
electricity, gas and maintenance supplies
."
"Operating expenses" at national universities
represent 10 percent of their budget
, with the majority remaining in salaries.
That budget fraction is the one that the Government - with the millimetric and tight approval of the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo - granted
an update
.
University funds, like all expenses of the national State in the times of Javier Milei, are being governed on the
basis of the 2023 Budget law
,
frozen
in line with the fiscal adjustment plan.
The announced increase is, strictly speaking, an update of the increases in
public services,
whether due to inflation or a reduction in subsidies, which academic houses
must also pay
.
But what does it imply in reality?
In response to Clarín
's query
, the detail came from the office of the Secretary of Education, Carlos Torrendell, on whom university policy depends in the organizational chart.
From there they stated that the "operating expenses" of the 57 national universities implied an item of 5,926 million pesos per month, "Starting in March they
increase by $ 4,148 million
. Reaching
more than 10,000 million in total per month
. It is a increase of 70%," they detailed.
According to the National Budget, the State assigns
a total of 752,482 million pesos
to universities .
Broken down, the study houses receive 691,887 million pesos from the
Education
budget , 7,364 million pesos from
Health
and 1,198 million pesos from
Science and Technology
(700,450 million pesos, in total).
In addition, in a similar proportion, another 52,031 million pesos
are financed from these three sources of the State
for university extension programs, doctorates, researchers, promotion of strategic careers, for information systems, university hospitals, technological institutes and the Formosa University Institute, among other budgeted items.
In this dimension
, the increase announced by Pettovello, detailed by Torrendell and authorized by Caputo
represents 0.55%
for the academic coffers.
But it impacts a
claim
that, apart from the joint discussion that led to the strike, became alert and complained
in the voice of rectors
.
University presidents, between complaint and prosaic despair
The one from the National University of San Martín
was explicit
.
"I don't want to be very prosaic, but
we are not replenishing the toilet paper
in the bathrooms, so there are situations that can be sustained up to a limit," declared rector Carlos Greco a week ago.
That university has a
budget of 9,722 million pesos
.
Carlos Greco, rector of the University of San Martín.
Photo UNSAM
This same Wednesday, Alfredo Lazzeretti
, rector of the National University of Mar del Plata,
had expressed himself .
“Today
we bought a third of what we could
buy in January 2023 and in addition to that
we have not yet received the increases
in electricity and gas rates, among other services.
"So it is a very complicated situation in general," he said, prior to the announcement of the budget increase.
"In particular, each study house has its cost structure,
rents
, contracts that make it
more or less unsustainable
and that is why in recent weeks it has been seen that the Higher Councils of some universities have declared a budgetary emergency, or have made a statement talking about complexity," added the rector of the UNMDP, who specifically pointed out what is being talked about when talking about "operating expenses."
He explained: "Universities have a cost structure in which
of every 100 pesos that go into the university, 90 go to salaries
and another 10 go to what we call operating expenses, which is practically everything."
And he went on to detail "the electricity and gas services, the rents paid by the University, the welfare policies they carry out, subsidies for cafeterias, student scholarships, research and extension scholarships for students and the operation of all the houses of study that make up the University".
The one in
Mar del Plata
has a budget of
15,206 million pesos
.
The National University of Mar del Plata.
The largest is the
University of Buenos Aires
, with a budget of
121,623 million pesos
that
almost triples
that of its followers, the national universities of La Plata, Córdoba and the UTN.
Within the framework of the strike, the UBA announced this Wednesday, through its Superior Council, that it ordered "the
closure of those buildings and facilities in which the
minimum operating conditions
cannot be guaranteed
on that date," on Thursday.
The
measure of force
called by the University Trade Union Front
was set on days with few activities
, between the end of the summer courses and that of the exam tables and the beginning of the subjects of the first semester.
"We have to take into account that this measure of force is taken when classes have not started in the cloisters, so we understand that it
will not have a major effect on the students
," they stated from Education, in response to the strike.
D.S.