After three days of strikes, the stand-off between the government and education unions over funding remains unresolved.
The education system in Colombia has been subject to several budget cuts since 2016, making the provision of quality education impossible, according to FECODE, an affiliate of Education International (EI).
In a press release, FECODE has declared that educators are supporting the strike in huge numbers in response to the cuts in the financing of education. FECODE also says that parents and the school communities are taking part by the thousands in the protest actions.
Damaging cuts
The cuts in funding have damaged and will continue to worsen the teaching and learning conditions in schools as immediate consequences, the union warns. Infrastructure and teachers’ salaries, in particular, will suffer from the measures, it says.
The nationwide strike has received the support of the union’s regional heads. In a joint letter, they underline the need for adequate funding to ensure access to quality education for all. They also highlight the fact that, without a sound education system, the promising peace process that will help the country recover after 50 years of civil war might be at risk.