Less Eating Due to Crisis, Venezuelan Students Are Reluctant to School

Less Eating Due to Crisis, Venezuelan Students Are Reluctant to School

Venezuela resumed the new school year on Monday (17/9). Some students were seen arriving in the classroom. The economic crisis that hit the country caused many families to be unable to buy supplies or give their children food to focus on learning while in school.

Economic crisis makes millions of people have to struggle to get food. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans fled to neighboring countries in search of a better life.

It took several weeks for the class to run normally again. However, teachers say student absence will increase significantly this year.

Illustration of the Venezuelan crisis

In poor areas, the rural town of Caucagua is about 75 kilometers (47 miles) from Caracas, only three students arrived at the Miguel Acevedo Educational Unit, a public elementary school. According to the school principal Nereida Veliz the school has 65 registered students.

"The school's performance is quite low because children don't come to class," Veliz said. In small schools electricity often goes out and water only functions three days a week. Students generally come to school to receive food given by the state.

"They don't eat at home, they eat here," he said.

The Ministry of Education did not respond to requests for comments. Education Minister Aristobulo Isturiz said on Friday that classes would begin this week for 7.6 million students in 30,000 schools across the country. That number includes 5,000 private schools.

The severe economic crisis that hit Venezuela made its citizens unable to buy pencils, books and uniforms. Public transportation that does not operate has become an obstacle to various activities. It starts from sending products to bringing children to school.

"I tried hard to bring my child to school. Some of the uniforms came from last year and from his brother's belongings. I found shoes sold. The most difficult is the school supplies," said Omaira Bracho (50), in the city. coast of Punto Fijo in Falcon state.

President Nicolas Maduro said the country was a victim of an "economic war" led by US-backed political enemies. In the Tachira border country, Javier Tarazona of the state teacher association said the class had not started because of several problems. This includes lack of teaching staff, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient food.

Representative of the Falcon state teacher union, Mari Garcia said at Benedicto Marmol's school at Punto Fijo, only three of the 365 students were present on Monday.

"There are always many children who are not present at the beginning of class, but they never look like this," he said.

source: republika