Thousands of people took to the streets of downtown San José on Tuesday to protest in defense of public education in Costa Rica and demand the government to increase the budget for this item.
University students, teachers, school workers and unions took part in two massive marches that left from different points of the capital to converge in front of the Parliament.
“This country has always been characterized for being a democratic country where we have a distinctive factor, education and culture, and currently this government is reducing the entire budget, all guarantees, social programs. This country has been emblematic in the world for the defense of education and health programs and currently we are in a problem that we have never had (with) any government”, said the academic of the National University (UNA) Vanesa Valerio, 53 years old.
The main complaint of the demonstration is the government’s refusal to increase by 1% the budget for the Special Fund for Higher Education (FEES), as promised by the government of the president, Rodrigo Chaves, a year ago, when he took office.
“That 1% is a responsibility that the government has towards universities and students,” said Alex Sancho, a 20-year-old university student.
The 1% increase was promised in view of inflation until the next budget, but Finance Minister Nogui Acosta indicated that it is not possible to grant those additional resources to public universities.
“It was an expectation, not a commitment”, Acosta pointed out before the Finance Committee of the Legislative Assembly.
This recurring refusal brought thousands of people to the streets this Tuesday, to the point that the main avenue that crosses San José was packed and many could not even reach the final area before the Legislative Assembly.
“(Public education) is the future. It is today and it is tomorrow. A country without education has no development. A country without professional people will not continue to grow,” said Genes Robles, a 19-year-old university student.
The University of Costa Rica indicated through a communiqué that the education budget in the country should be at least 8% and that currently the Chaves government has it at 5.8%.
