The Ministry of Education and the Association of Directors of Official Schools of Panama (Andeop) held a meeting in which they agreed to implement strategies to expedite responses to school works and that will have the participation, in a work table, of the Directorate of Public Contracts and the General Comptroller of the Republic.
Minister Gorday de Villalobos, along with her work team, led the meeting in Cárdenas, with Isis Caballero, leader of Andeop, and focused, among the relevant issues, on public procurement and the Fund for Equity and Quality of Education (FECE).
«The first game of FECE 2023, the deposit of 10 million was received this Friday; pending this game, 9 million. It is scheduled for payment on July 25; adding a total of 19 million”, explained Minister Gorday de Villalobos.
The meeting confirmed the process for appointing administrative personnel for each educational region, such as electrician, plumber, refrigeration technician, general assistants, and mechanic. Next month the appointments that are being processed through the National Directorate of Human Resources will be made, it was explained at the meeting.
In the seven-hour meeting, also participated Ariel Rodriguez, Academic Vice Minister; Guillermo Alegría, General Director of Education; Mireida De Gracias, director of FECE; Fanny Solís, Director of Engineering and Architecture; José Carrillo, director of Legal; Marcela Herrera, National Director of Maintenance; Pedro Urriola, director of Human Resources; Vielka Tuñón, Director of Finance and Omar Batista, Director of Community Affairs and Parents.
The agreement also guarantees to review the status of the administrative personnel appointed and who are not fulfilling their functions. Through the National Directorate of Human Resources, a response will be given to the cases presented, in conjunction with the regional directorates. In case of dismissal due to administrative offenses, reports and evidence of sanctions (documented in the Regional Offices).
Transfers to other educational centers will be avoided.
As agreed, the cases of management personnel who have been separated from their positions and sanctioned will be reviewed. Compliance with article 124 of Resolution 804 of March 5, 2020, which approves the sole text of Executive Decree 203 of September 27, 1996, to comply with due process, was reiterated.
The director of FECE, Mireida De Gracia, explained to the school directors that the Ministry of Education requested the FECE 2023 surpluses from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which would be used for extraordinary educational projects. The managers will be able to raise and elaborate the pertinent evaluations of the projects, and once they receive the deposit, they can manage up to B/. 50,000 dollars, in educational centers.
» Of the 2022 FECE items, which add up to B/. 59.2 million, to date B/.55.2 million has been deposited. Those that have not been deposited, the directors of educational centers are required to present the corresponding reports to receive their deposit,” said De Gracia.