In 5,700 public schools in the country, the week began with the suspension of face -to -face classes because teachers attended the call for the Guatemalan Education Workers Union (Steg) to declare themselves in permanent assembly. According to ads disseminated in social networks, the measure is indefinitely.
In a monitoring, the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) estimated that 16% of the establishments closed on Monday, May 19while in 84%, which represents 30 thousand 150 educational centers, school activity passed normally.
Francisco Cabrera, Technical Vice Minister of Education, indicated that they will verify the reasons for the suspension of classes in these centers. If there is no justified cause, sanctions will be applied.
“You have to apply the sanctions to those who are not presenting to teach. That is regulated and there are already established procedures,” said Cabrera. He added that article 22 of the current collective pact states that teachers must Fulfill a minimum of 180 days; Otherwise, they would be contravening what this agreement establishes.
The permanent assembly convened by the STEG occurs one month from the half -year recess, which, according to the school calendar for the public sector, It will be from June 23 to 29, week in which there will be no classes.
For an indefinite time
A Jutiapa union leader, interviewed by the GT Events site, said that article 45 of the Political Constitution of the Republic establishes the right to peaceful “resistance”. He added that, as a teaching, they presented a petitioner to the MINEDUC authorities for the negotiation of the Magisterium Collective Pact, but that this, unilaterally, established a salary readjustment.
“All instances exhausted, based on the law we are entering permanent assemblies so that dialogue tables can be filed,” said the interviewee. He added that his fight is not only for economic improvement, but also for support for different initiatives in the Congress of the Republic, such as Increase to Q10 the school feed fee and that the Ministry of Education provide uniforms and footwear for students.
It should be remembered that the Minister of Education, Anabella Giracca, and President Bernardo Arévalo They announced on April 30 a 5% salary increase to teachers from June 1. This figure is far from the 15% proposed by the majority union, so the demand continues.
On the Mijalapa.com site, another union leader indicated that last week assemblies were held in the different municipalities of Jalapa for, on Monday, May 19, to start with permanent assemblies, which described as “a peaceful resistance of the magisterium.”
He mentioned that during this time teachers will receive training in different areas, and that the measure represents a waiting compass so that the authorities attend the magisterium requests, such as salary increase, medical insurance for students and the increase to the school feed fee.
In addition, he said: “This will last as long as the government does not feel at the negotiating table and responds to the requests that, as a united and organized teaching, we do.”
Teachers sanctions
Cabrera expects 16% of schools that joined the assembly on Monday to decrease as the week progresses.
“It is an illegal action – which interrupts classes – that obliges the Ministry of Education to take the measures provided by law. The important thing is to know that the teachers who are doing it are exposing themselves to sanctions.”
Francisco Cabrera, Technical Vice Minister of MINEDUC
First minutes will be raised to the absent, which implies an warning. If the teacher accumulates three acts in the same circumstances, a process of dismissal will begin, as established by law.
Besides, The MINEDUC has a provisional amparo granted on April 9 by the Tenth Court of the Civil Branch of the Department of Guatemala, which orders the union to refrain from taking actions that affect educational processes in the country.
The judicial measure prevents trade unionists Block streets and roads, take schools and buildings, suspend classes or perform any other action that hinders the work of the ministry.
Impact on students
In Retalhuleu, a teacher informed Free press that the STEG leadership summoned teachers to permanent assembly. However, 95% of schools worked normally, So he assured that there was no power to call.
According to the monitoring carried out in the department, the only schools that suspended classes were some of the La Machine sector, in San Andrés Villa Seca: of 20 educational centers, five closed. In the other municipalities, the children attended classes, he reported.
That teachers declare themselves in permanent assembly means that they meet in a school headquarters to define which strategies will follow – agreed by the union leadership – and that this situation is indefinitely, which affects students who attend public educational centers, said the teacher.
In addition, he pointed out that this is “disastrous for the improvement of children’s learning.” Therefore, in many schools They are expectation of the administrative actions that the MINEDUC implementswhich, he said, is what matters most to teachers.
In the capital, the support of teachers to the permanent assembly was scarce. A teacher from a school in Zone 1 indicated that they taught.
“It is a serious problem that children are harmed,” he said. He affirmed not to agree with the leadership of Joviel Acevedo in the Steg, although he acknowledged that each school and each teacher have their own criteria to decide whether or not to add the assembly.
“My school is working and we have no instructions to suspend classes,” he said. He added: in the department of Guatemala, the assemblies that Joviel conveys do not have much support; All support is in the departments.
Sources consulted in Chimaltenango pointed out that, in most public educational establishments, teachers taught, although they indicated that a division begins to be evidenced between those who support the union and those who are against. In addition, they said there is pressure from parents so that teaching in schools is not suspended.