In private schools they wait for teacher parity/day
The year is coming to an end and there is renewed uncertainty in Buenos Aires’ private education system. After several months without increases – there was no salary update in November and no news in December – the expectation of joint ventures reopening is mixed with the concern of subsidized schools, which have already stopped paying fees at the end of the year, with no official information on possible teacher increases.
“The truth is that we are facing a worrying problem,” admitted Martín Zurita, executive director of the Buenos Aires Provincial Association of Private Educational Institutes (Aiepa), as he described a scene that repeats itself year after year, but this time is exacerbated by the delay in legislation. The approval of the provincial debt delayed the political calendar and put negotiations between the government and teachers unions on hold. “Everything depends on that. We don’t know if the year will end with a salary increase for teachers,” admitted the Aiepa director.
The complexity becomes greater for subsidized schools that have already spent the fees according to the end of the school year. It should be noted that of the 6,000 private schools in the Buenos Aires area, more than 4,000 are subsidized. And those without a subsidy can make unlimited increases and typically begin receiving payments in February rather than March, as is the case with subsidized payments.
With November 30th as the deadline and without official notification, the institutes repeated the quotas from the previous month. But if parity is defined today, the impact would be immediate and difficult to absorb. “If there is an increase now in December, it would be a problem for the schools. In January we have to pay salaries with the increase, but we cannot recoup it through the fee,” explained the Aiepa director.
There is also limited scope for action in the following months. Although institutions could report adjustments in February, the formal update cannot be applied until March. “In February you can make a notification, but a school’s machines have been fully functional since March. Furthermore, we do not know whether they would allow for retroactive effect,” Zurita added. The equation is tricky: When teacher salaries rise, schools must cover the costs without increasing revenue. “It’s a domino effect. Many people have already paid the last installment of the year and we still don’t know how to solve this problem.”
EDUCATIONAL QUALITY
On the other hand, Zurita referred to the Educational Quality Council, a sector provided for in the National Education Law of 2006 and newly regulated in 2020. The body is characterized by its pluralistic composition: regional ministers, legislators, UNICEF, OEI, representatives of academia, national trade unions and economic organizations such as UIA, Coninagro and CAME. “I represent the club through CAME.
Among the topics covered, national evaluation measures and communication of results stand out. “It’s not just about knowing the results, but also what to do with them and how to improve.”
About The Author
