Twenty municipalities record this year an investment of Q158 million 320 thousand 212 in the remodeling, expansion and construction of educational centers, as well as in the purchase of supplies, desks and backpacks, according to the Guatecompras electronic portal.
The 262 events were awarded between January and April. The municipalities that have authorized awards are from Petén, San Marcos, Alta Verapaz, Huehuetenango, Sololá, Suchitepéquez, Chiquimula and Chimaltenango.
In the case of San Benito, Petén, Q6 million 957 thousand 600 has been invested in the improvement or expansion of six schools, according to the portal. It was tried to contact the mayor of that municipality to determine if the expenses were covered only by the commune, but did not respond messages or calls.
Transparency
The analyst on municipal issues Eddy Cifuentes indicates that it is difficult to control the real destination of the materials and stressed that not all are expenses of the communes, since when it comes to rezezamientos they must be done with municipal funds, while the extensions or constructions are executed with a budget of the Departmental Development Councils (CODEDES), chaired by the departmental governor and formed by representatives of municipalities, civil society organizations.
“Absolutely everything is susceptible to corruption; it will depend on the officials, on the transparency in the purchasing processes and the function that the members of the municipal councils that preside over the probity commissions, since they are jointly responsible,” he says.
He added that, sometimes, this type of works is used to win supporters when officials seek to re -elect in office.
The Vice Minister Technical of Education, Francisco Cabrera, says that the law does send the municipalities to invest in education and can build as much as the educational centers.
“This is done with funds of each municipality or with the funds of the Development Councils, in that case the municipality must present a project to the respective CODEE and it decides whether to approve it or not,” he said.
Among the works are the change of floors and ceilings, arrangement of toilets and kitchens, remodeling of sports areas, wall construction and repair of pipes, as well as the construction of facilities.
Budget
This year, the budget to remote public schools amounted to Q865.1 million, and the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) could reach the restoration of 11 thousand schools.
In 2024, the Mineduc proposed as a goal to remove 10,000 schools, which represents 27.7% of the total public educational establishments in the country. According to the report as of December 27 of that year, 10,997 centers were intervened, a figure that exceeds the objective set by the authorities, in accordance with the Transparency Portal in the renovation of educational centers in the official sector.
For work in preprimary, primary, basic and diversified buildings, the portfolio had Q865.1 million, sum that was reached after internal modifications to the budget and the incorporation of Q538.9 million for the intervention.
73.2% of the resources were allocated to the resolement of educational centers of the primary level, where the highest execution is reported, with 99.52%.
Repairs were carried out through the Public Building Maintenance Program and included walls on walls, sheet covers, Loza Waterproofing, bathrooms, floors, doors and windows, water facilities, drains, electricity grid and paint, among others.
In a first general diagnosis of 35,922 educational establishments carried out on February 1, 2024, it was established that:
- 5,386 educational centers had no water supply
- 8,587 lacked electricity
- 28,842 did not have kitchen
- 12,876 require wall repair
- 10,092 need drainage repair
- 17,268 should be repaired on roofs
- 21,062 require bathroom repair