Caracas Chronicles

Photo: Provea

If you thought things were bad, consider the future Venezuela will have when children’s education and development are compromised by understaffed schools (both public and private) all over the country. How will we get back on track if the generation of teachers that will take over is unprepared?

Many teachers just left their posts in public schools without a formal resignation, and 60% of private school teachers followed suit. This is according to a statement from Javier Tarazona, chairman of the Venezuelan College of Teachers and also Director of the REDES foundation, given to Analitica in February.

It’s not enough that we ask the government’s attention, now it’s necessary to insist in the need for a humanitarian channel.

While most of desertion is observed in the private sector (the wage is significantly lower here than in public schools), in Táchira state a total of 600 resignations have arrived to the state’s Education offices.

The reason teachers are leaving? Money. “(Salaries) don’t cover the basic needs like food or health expenses”, according to Tarazona.

The Venezuelan College of Teachers is asking that international organisms provide teachers the refugee status. “The setting is pretty dark. It’s not enough that we ask the government’s attention (which we do on a regular basis), now it’s necessary to insist in the need for a humanitarian channel, and ask the UN, the OAS and the international community to provide the refugee status to every teacher or Venezuelan citizen who has left the country looking to fulfill their needs and improve their quality of life.”

We not only have to worry about over a million kids being off school, we also have to worry about the understaffed schools tending to kids struggling to be at school.

The picture looks grim.