Teachers’ Union Cautions Against Kast’s Proposed Budget Cuts: «Education Could Suffer Negatively in Already Challenged Sector»

Original article: Colegio de Profesores por recortes de Kast: «En educación pueden tener un impacto negativo en un sector que ya está aproblemado»

In light of President Kast’s announcement of a 3% budget cut across all government ministries, the Chilean Teachers’ Union has expressed serious concerns over the impact this measure may have on education, warning it could be «very negative».

Mario Aguilar, the national president of the Teachers’ Union, stated that the teaching community is «quite worried about the announced cuts, as their impact on education could be very negative. Education is, in our view, a deficit area even with the current budgets.»

«If cuts are being considered in education, it is a grave issue. The reality in local education services and municipalities shows significant deficits,» emphasized Aguilar, representing the country’s educators.

In this context, he pointed out that if adjustments, such as staff reductions, are proposed, the practical implications are concerning. «We do not believe there is an excess of teaching staff; when talking about excesses, it means classrooms of 45 students, which is a reality in many places,» he said.

«For instance, there are classes with ten students who have special educational needs related to autism spectrum disorders, and obviously, those classes cannot have 45 students. This is entirely unpedagogical and detrimental to both students with special needs and their peers,» he cautioned.

Aguilar shared a current example from Chiloé, where he noted the case of Galvarino Riveros School, which is known for its excellence and high enrollment demand. Now, they are increasing class sizes to nearly 40 or more students, threatening the school’s ability to maintain its quality.

Due to these concerns, the Teachers’ Union plans to meet with the Minister of Education soon to address this situation.

«We are very worried about this; it could have a profoundly negative impact on an already troubled education system. Therefore, this is clearly an issue we will raise with the Minister in our first meeting in the coming days,» Aguilar asserted.

We will continue to provide updates.