In it budget addition project of the government of Gustavo Petro, which has already passed its first debate in Congress -with few modifications–, the education sector is the most ambitious and, according to expert economists in education and development, this is key to solving financing problems, but it is still not enough.
Thus, in the text that proposes an amount of $16.9 trillion, education seeks to achieve $2.2 trillion.
(See: Budget addition goes to second debate with few ‘bumps’)
Specifically, they expect that $1.15 trillion will be added in operation, of which $1 trillion – coming from the National Pension Fund for Territorial Entities (Fonpet) – will go to the National Fund for Social Benefits for Teachers (Fomag) with the in order to cover pension obligations.
In this same field, $146,000 million will be for the expansion of coverage of 80,000 new places in the Institutions of Public Higher Education (IESP), by assigning two additional points to the operating budget base of the Public HEIs and contingent resources for the border offices of the National University of Colombia.
(See: Presentation of budget addition for $16.9 billion)
Regarding investment, the text adds $1.05 trillion. Of these, $550,000 million are used to finance the plan for educational spaces and the provision of about 16 IESPs; $100,000 million will be focused on expanding coverage in the free policy and $150,000 million seek to strengthen state universities.
Does it solve financing problems?
And although it is true that “It is a great effort from the Government to solve the problems facing education in the country, the needs are gigantic and it is still not enough to make a significant leap in coverage and quality”as stated by José Manuel Restrepo, rector of the EIA University.
It is also worth saying, as Restrepo adds, that this sector usually occupies the first place as an item in the General Budget of the Nation.
(See: There is a budget addition for $25.4 billion: what it will be used for)
Helen Orjuela, economist expert in education and professor at the Externado de Colombia University, affirms that a novel element is that this budget addition seeks to guarantee the payment of Fomag pensions. But still, “The addition is not a solution to the structural problems of underfunding in higher education, because these require deep interventions that modify the current functioning of the system, expand the sources of resources and alleviate the pension burdens of public HEIs”.
The lights
Faced with this scenario, Orjuela considers that the resources should “Fundamentally intended to ensure the full functioning of permanence programs and educational quality”as well as to the financing of initial education programs and the search to close social gaps that are seen in the country”.
For his part, Restrepo considers it essential to guarantee access to higher education and that “part of these resources are focused on replacing a program similar to the one that existed in the country such as ‘Ser Pilo Paga’ or ‘Generation E’”.
(See: Education and health, priorities in the addition to the Budget)
The item that, if the text is approved in its entirety, it would be used for operation and is close to 60% of what the sector expectsaccording to the economist Carlos Alberto Garzón “A part should be invested in technological improvement of public universities, as well as in the improvement of coverage by these institutions”.
In addition, he believes that an extension should be given in non-metropolitan areas.
CLAUDIA M. QUINTERO RUEDA
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