Meduca will sustain $1.8 billion for the 2023 budget

This afternoon, the Minister of Education, Maruja Gorday de Villalobos, will sustain before the Budget Commission around $1.8 billion to cover operating expenses and a considerable series of projects; however, the 5.5% that was the commitment that the government acquired with the educators, at the dialogue table, is being defined with the Budget directorate “because it was aimed at improving the educational quality that impacts first and second level as works of infrastructure, improvements of physical spaces of equipment and furniture that we need to expand the school feeding program, to appoint teachers in the early childhood grades, to be able to finish the ranch schools because all this is combined in factors that point to educational quality”.
Regarding the threats of possible paralysis of classes due to lack of execution of this percentage of the budget, he said that they maintain the commitment together with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to comply with the agreement of the Table.
He added that they will meet on Saturday, September 10 with the teachers as part of the follow-up to present the items where this 5.5% will be incorporated, which represents approximately $300 million, in infinite needs that the entity has with a finite budget, for which that percentage is very favorable.
“Our goal is to generate accompaniment with the regional ones, with public contracting, the Comptroller’s Office, and perhaps be able to use between 15 and 20% of the FECE money by the end of the year, and with the modification of the decree it will be possible,” he said.

Fainting cases
He also referred to the situation in the schools of Coclé and Veraguas where cases of fainting, stomach aches and vomiting were reported, explained that in one of the schools the students ate an expired product, revealed that they have already had these problems with some schools of the region and that they are being given this accompaniment and verifying if there is any issue of religious beliefs.
“Completing a second term and beginning a third, a lot of anxiety is generated, family pressure from the educational center and from the teachers who have some subjects that are perhaps not the easiest and the idea is from the psychopedagogical cabinets and with the Ministry of Health to provide this accompaniment and follow-up to the investigations,” he said, assuring that many of the situations are brought to the attention of the Children’s Prosecutor’s Office so that they can determine if there are other factors that affect them.