QCOSTARICA — Students in schools and colleges across the country will begin the 2025 public school year this week.
This school year begins with several challenges in education, starting with the lowest budget in the last 10 years, funds frozen by the Ministry of Finance, hundreds of health orders, programs and protocols eliminated, and an educational backlog unaddressed.
According to several publications, the start of classes, with everything that is happening in the country, has many students and teachers tense, because this year there is a feeling of instability in the support for education.
The main concern for teachers and students is the budget instability this year.
“My school sometimes lacks chairs, we have to go around asking in the classrooms if there is a spare chair or table. It is a technical school, and in many classrooms they use equipment for the specialties that there are and these situations are our daily life (…) my sister who starts school is going to have to live with these shortages,” published a student on social media.
The lack of budget also extends to other essential areas of the educational system, including less money for school boards, cafeterias a source of a proper meal by some students and transportation. The budget cuts also mean less money for payroll, that is, there will not be enough money to pay teachers.
Back to school also means increased traffic and gridlock, in particular near schools, with a series of operations starting next Wednesday, February 5.
The objective is to increase surveillance in schools and colleges that are in front of high-traffic routes, with a focus mainly on protecting students, facilitating circulation, and sanctioning incorrect drivers.