In a recent conversation with Canal N, Miguel Vallejos, dean of the College of Psychologists of Peru, warned about the situation, highlighting that several psychologists have already resigned in August, and others are expected to do so in September.
This is despite the commitment of the Minister of Education, Miriam Ponce, who eight months ago promised to manage an additional budget to guarantee the continuity of these contracts until December.
However, the situation remains uncertain due to the delay in the bureaucratic process, which is delaying the legal authorization required for the use of the budget allocated to these contracts.
This puts at risk the continued employment of some three thousand psychologists currently employed. This number, although significant, represents only two percent of the total needed to cover the needs of more than fifty thousand schools throughout the country.
In addition to the budgetary problem, Vallejos highlighted the lack of political will and the low awareness of the importance of mental health in schools. This lack of attention is contributing to an increase in cases of social and school violence, a phenomenon that worries the educational community.
With more than 60,000 registered psychologists in the country and 120,000 psychology students close to graduating, the problem does not lie in the lack of professionals. Rather, it is the lack of action by the Ministry of Economy and Congress that is leading to a critical situation, especially after the pandemic, which has exacerbated mental health problems among the student population.
