Primary students, the most affected by the strike of teachers affiliated with Steg

Home News Primary students, the most affected by the strike of teachers affiliated with Steg
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June 12, 2025June 12, 2025By Mario Vรกsquez
Primary students, the most affected by the strike of teachers affiliated with Steg

10 days after public schools start half -year rest, around 5,800 establishments have been clasted for 25 days Because teachers affiliated with the Union of Education Workers of Guatemala (Steg) have been in permanent assembly since May 19.

This interruption of the school year negatively impacts the learning of the students, mainly at the primary level, because, according to the report of the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), most unemployed teachers are assigned to that level and in the morning day.

According to the 2025 school calendar, the Half -year break for public sector establishments will be from June 23 to 29. For parents, that period adds to the interruption of classes that adds several weeks and consider that the main affected will be the student.

A mother who asked not to be identified, indicated that her daughter is a primary room. However, the girl does not have the expected reading ability for that degree and does not master the multiplication tables. According to the mother, the rest of the students are in the same situation.

“The teachers claim that, with the work sheets they send, we give them the content that they would have to give at school,” says the interviewee, since in the establishment where their daughter studies the teachers are in permanent assembly and have opted for Send study guides so that the educational process is carried out at home.

He adds that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of these tools to continue with the school year was justified, which caused a lag in learning. However, what is currently happening is “only the responsibility of the evil teacher.”

“We have to support our children, but where is the part that corresponds to teachers?

Mother of family, affected by the suspension of classes by Steg teachers

Impact on learning

According to Francisco Cabrera, Technical Deputy Minister of Education, the suspension of classes in schools “seriously affects students, because she interrupts the regular learning process.

The impact varies according to the educational level in which they are found, but for first grade children, who are in the learning and writing learning stage, the damage may be greater. At this point in the school year they should have already learned all the letters of the alphabet and be starting their first readings. This pause makes it difficult to resume what learned And, due to the lack of continuity, what was achieved so far could be lost, according to the official.

“Any unchanging interruption generates a problem and loss of learning,” says Cabrera.

It should be remembered that students drag serious lags in learning, aggravated by the Prolonged closure of educational centers during the Covid-19 pandemicwhen there were no face -to -face classes and they had to learn at a distance through study guides.

The results of the diagnostic evaluation Learn+ 2024 show that, until last year, public sector students continued with deficiencies in knowledge and skills in essential subjects.

In Preprimary, one in two students proved to have the expected skills in reading, writing and mathematics, as established in the National Base Curriculum (CNB).

However, the results are less encouraging for primary school children, since, on average, Only four out of 10 reached the required level in the three areas evaluated. The greatest impact is observed in the first degree, where the proportion descends to three out of 10 students.

It should be remembered that most public educational centers have suspended classes due to the permanent assembly of the union belong to the primary level.

“Instead of strengthening learning in children, they are delaying them more. The worst thing is that teachers will not want to replace the time they are wasting, and if they do, it will be exhausting for children to be until December in the classrooms. In the end, the most affected is the student,” says the mother of the interviewed family.

According to Cabrera, the measure that will be taken so that schools that have been closed since May 19 meet the period of 180 days of classes have not yet been defined. Is in analysis if the school year will last In these establishments or if any remedial measure for student learning recovery will be implemented.

Until June 6, the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) had Raised 3 thousand 971 minutes to teachers that have been absent from their work in the classroom. To that same date, 2,511 complaints from parents were counted for the absence of teachers, which began to be received on May 12 through telephone number 1503 and the institutional website of the Ministry.

It will be during the rest days of half a year when teachers receive the first payment of the 5% salary increase announced by the MINEDUC and the first of two annual bonds, which will have an increase of Q500.

Breach

The Attorney General’s Office (PGN) reported on June 11 that the Fifth Pluripersonal Court of Labor and Social Welfare informed the Public Ministry that the National Executive Committee of the Union of Education Workers of Guatemala (Steg) did not comply with submitting the report that was required as part of the provisional protection process that was issued on June 3. The amparo warns the union to depose the measures of fact – to decline in permanent assembly.

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