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The resignation of Mora
was one of the demands
made by unions and
students as a condition of
finishing their strike. /
photo.
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Despite
meeting with new minister
of Education, students to
resume protests Monday
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The recently appointed Minister
of Public Education Giselle Cruz
met with the representatives of
public school students to
analyze their demands. But the
students later announced their
protests will continue Monday.
The students says they are
against the end-of-course tests,
called FARO, because their
opinions for the design and
implementation of these final
year test were not taken into
account by the ministry.
The Minister gave the students
until next Thursday for them to
make a list of observations
about these academic tests and
submit the list to the Superior
Council of Education, which will
study the student
proposal.
Another student complain is the
bill for dual education that is
being studied by the deputies of
the Legislative Assembly. This
bill will allow students of
technical schools complete an
internship in private companies.
Students said consider the
conditions of internship unfair
because participants would not
receive a salary, insurance and
others work benefits.
Cruz said that she will
coordinate a hearing with the
students and deputies to
consider complains before the
bill is approved or rejected.
Despite the concessions, the
students said they will continue
with their protests Monday, the
day they return from mid-year
vacations.
"We recognize that there are
legitimate doubts by students
that must be addressed through
institutional channels; always
with respect and cordiality,"
said Cruz.
Additionally, the ministry will
set up a telephone line in the
next few days so that students,
teachers and their parents could
clarify doubts about the issues
that motivate the protests.
Also, the ministry announced
that it will develop a campaign
on social networks to provide
more information on the FARO
test and dual work bill.
Cruz was named the new minister
of Education Tuesday after, as
A.M. Costa Rica reported, the
controversial resignation of the
former minister, Edgar Mora
Mora resigned July 1t, after a
meeting of the Governing Council
in the Presidential House in
Zapote.
The resignation of Mora was one
of the demands made by unions
and students as a condition of
finishing their strike.
After the resignation of Mora,
members of the union of
employees of the Ministry of
Education celebrated in the
streets in front of the ministry
building.
According to union leaders, the
former minister did not develop
enough actions to solve the
infrastructure problems in
schools as well as open
negotiations with the employees
of the ministry.
For more than a week at the end
of June, some students from the
public high schools were
protesting and requested the
resignation of Mora, who
according to the students,
affected their performance.
According to the ministry's
report, only 2 percent of the
country's schools participated
in the protest.
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What should the new minister do
to reconcile with the unions and
students and prevent them from
returning to strike? We
would like to know your thoughts
on this story. Send your
comments to news@amcostarica.com
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