Public schools, between disputes over federal program resources

In more than a hundred public basic education schools in La Laguna de Durango, disputes have arisen between parents over the administration and use of resources from the federal program La Escuela es Nuestra (PLEEN). The disagreements have not only led to the seizure of educational facilities and the suspension of classes, but decisions have also been made that, beyond benefiting them, have caused harm.

For example, in more than ten educational institutions, parents installed mini-splits but did not correctly adjust the gauge of the wiring, resulting in electric shocks and breakdowns of the new air conditioning systems. Ulises Adame, Undersecretary of Education in the region, said that due to this situation, in-person classes were also stopped, since the well-being and health of children and adolescents is not guaranteed in this time of intense heat. He said that according to the complaints they have received, there are cases in which among the same families, they contracted services with very high prices and poor quality. “It is incredible the number of problems we have had in this Secretariat associated with disputes between parents who do not agree 100 percent in the operation of resources. I want to tell you that schools do not have any type of responsibility in this type of exercise, that we are not willing to tolerate that schools continue to stop us, disputes between parents are not a reason for them to take over schools, those are your problems, they are problems of the organization of a program in which we did not have nothing to see,” he declared.

He insisted that PLEEN is a federal program and that although it is positive that resources have been allocated to meet the needs of schools, it is important that parents can agree on the operation of the money, without affecting the operation. of the school year.

Request regional office

In a respectful manner, the official asked the Welfare Secretariat to set up a regional office so that the conflicts of each School Committee for Participatory Administration (CEAP), made up of mothers and fathers, can be resolved. Together with the Social Comptroller’s Office, they are responsible for the administration and correct application of public resources that are granted according to the number of enrolled students; amounts from 200 thousand to 600 thousand pesos.

He stressed that the state Secretary of Education has no interference in the federal program and that “we only receive the complaints and we do not know what has been done, the only thing we know is when the schools burn, when the transformers thunder and they take us the schools, the truth is, I say it respectfully, resolve that issue because before we didn’t have it.”

Adame said that if there is any person who has complaints about the misuse of resources, they can file their complaint with the competent authorities. He also called on legislators to propose the continuity of La Escuela es Nuestra but with clearer operating rules. He insisted that they will remain on the sidelines as long as it does not affect their institutional work.