“In recent months we have not seen a massive transfer of families from private schools to state schools,” explains Martín Zurita, leader of private schools.
“What has been seen is a movement of families from higher fee schools to medium fee schools;
and from medium fee schools to cheaper fee schools,” she adds.
“Now, there is a sector of the population that sends its children to the cheapest schools,
which can no longer support them
,” the explanation ends.
For this last sector, the one that runs the risk of
“falling out” of private schools
, the Government designed the measure announced last week:
a state subsidy (via Anses)
of half of each student's fee, as long as they do not exceeds $54,396, the private school has 75% official contribution and the family group's income does not exceed $1,419,600.
Even though the Government calls this
“Educational Voucher Program”
(to accommodate the story of the LLA campaign), it is nothing more than a new subsidy for privately managed education, which already has its historical subsidies.
Probably seduced by the title of the vouchers, many experts became involved in the discussion about whether this measure
implies a different vision about how education is financed
in Argentina.
And if it can have
some educational implications
, as happened in countries where there were important reforms that included changes in financing, as happened in Chile.
But not.
Not here.
It is just a matter of looking at the official resolution of the “vouchers” published in the Official Gazette.
There it is clear that it is only
official aid so that families do not abandon private schools
.
Which, furthermore,
is transitory
.
Initially for three months, official sources later said.
There is a paragraph that attracts attention.
He is the one who argues that in
“the current context,
as a result of the inherited economic situation
, it is necessary to assist families whose children attend private educational institutions that receive state contributions, with the purpose of guaranteeing the permanence of the students in said institutions.” ”.
Inherited economic situation?
The harsh legacy of Kirchnerism is clear, but what triggered the problem - the one described by Zurita - more than that was
the brutal adjustment of the last three months
, with free and runaway prices, and salaries that are increasingly delayed.
The measure is not a voucher, nor was it intended from an educational point of view.
Strictly speaking,
it is a palliative for the social drama caused
, which also requires more palliatives in other sectors of social life.
See also
See also
Three out of ten richest students in the country do not reach the minimum reading level
See also
See also
A country with poor people in private schools