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 According to
the Ministry of Education, the government budget
in education is approximately 2.6 billion colones,
which is equivalent to 7.4% of gross domestic
product.
- Ministry of Education courtesy photos - |
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 - Published: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Almost
1.2 million students start the school year
By the A.M. Costa Rica staffMonday almost 1,2 million preschool, elementary and high school students started the 2020 school year at 4,471 locations throughout the country. In Costa Rica, the school year starts in February and finishes in November. “Education must be one of our priorities,” said President Carlos Alvarado during the official inauguration of the new year at the high school of Cóbano on the Nicoya Peninsula. "This year we bring the boys and girls at this beginning of schooling by closing gaps in the field of educational quality with better conditions for teachers to focus on teaching and developing infrastructure." According to the Ministry of Education, the government budget in education is approximately 2.6 billion colones, which is equivalent to 7.4% of gross domestic product. According to the ministry, the budget will be invested in the transportation of students, food, scholarships, money transfers to students with low economic resources, equipment, new buildings, among others. Investments will be made in the construction of new schools and extensions or remodeling of existing ones, said the ministry in its statement. Authorities said they will also increase actions to prevent school dropouts. Among the innovations, teachers will be allowed to voluntarily exchange their positions. This will apply only in cases where both teachers can work near their homes. Also, the teachers' obligations were modified so that they spend more time teaching and the administrative procedures of their work are toe be reduced.  The start of school usually is accompanied by complaints by parents over the costs of items they have to purchase for their youngsters. Some low-income parents keep children from school because they cannot afford to purchase the mandatory items. School uniforms and supplies have huge price variations for similar items in different stores, according to a study carried out by the Ministry of Economy in advance of the start of this public school year. According to the ministry, the study collected the list of prices and products between Jan. 7 and 10 in 32 stores located in San José, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago. The study included 732 prices for supplies and 344 for uniforms, said the ministry. For a price comparison, two classifications were taken into account. The first category are identical items of the same brand and quality. The second category includes similar articles with common characteristics but different brands. In the study of uniforms, prices of socks, shirts, blouses, pants, skirts and shoes were compared. An example of the price difference is the case of men's school pants with the same size and similar type of fabric, but different brands. In the Rosabal chain of stores, the School Life brand pants are priced at about $3.55. Similar pants, from the Vins brand in the La Gloria chain of stores, cost about $26.45. According to the study, one pair of pants is nearly seven and a half times more expensive than the other. In the case of school supplies, the study included the list provided by the Ministry of Public Education, which includes pens, erasers, backpacks, notebooks, pencils, among others. According to the ministry, identical products, type and brand, registered 124% more expensive from one store to the other. For example, a box of 12 graphite pencils, type HB#2, of the Bic brand in the Yustin store chain costs $2.12. The same product of the same brand in the Muñoz and Nanne store costs $4.76. According to the study, the same pencil box cost more than twice as much in one story than in another. According to the study, the average price of obligatory school supplies is about $113 for boys and $104 for girls. This takes into account the list of the education ministry without including the cost of textbooks and other expenses that may vary depending on the school, said the economics ministry in its statement. Following the provisions of the regulations, the label of the uniforms must include the trademark, composition of the textile material, size or sizes, care instructions, country of origin and data of the manufacturer, importer or distributor. Additionally, the regulation includes the following mandatory requirements in the case of shoes label: Footwear size, country of origin and data of the manufacturer, importer or distributor. According to the study, 79% of the uniforms in the stores do comply with the labeling. It is recommended to compare prices and quality of scholar supplies and uniforms before buying, the ministry said. Readers can see the price list of uniforms and school supplies at the ministry web page. --------------- Have you heard of any school that requires improvements in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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