2024-02-16 09:19:17
More than 85,000 students from the interior, of all levels, will be able to continue traveling by bus for free to attend educational establishments during the 2024 school year. The decree by which Governor Osvaldo Jaldo creates in the Ministry of Government and Justice, the “Free Provincial Student Ticket” Program, a benefit that since 2018 was under the orbit of the Tucumán Legislature.
Decree 131/24 states that in December 2023, Vice Governor Miguel Acevedo decided to annul – after agreement with the Executive Branch – the benefit of the free ticket for students from the interior of the province at the initial, primary, secondary, tertiary and university in all public, private and parish-run establishments. This measure was taken as part of the austerity actions that the president requested from the powers of the State.
In the document, it was stated that “one of the causes of school dropout is the pressing economic situation that a significant sector of the population is going through” in the province, so it is advisable to assist students who reside in the metropolitan area and in the interior, so that they can comply with regular attendance, through the elimination of the burden that means the cost of transportation.
In this sense, it was explained in the decree that the Province carried out procedures and efforts aimed at the implementation of a ticket provision system with the Association of Automotive Transport Businessmen of Tucumán (Aetat), the National University of Tucumán (UNT) and the National Technological University – Tucumán Regional Faculty (FRT-UTN). “The student ticket has 85,000 beneficiaries at all initial, primary, secondary, tertiary and university levels,” said the Minister of Government and Justice, Regino Amado.
The program is intended to assume the cost of transportation (round trip) through passenger transport companies associated with Aetat, for students who accredit the following minimum conditions:
– Students from public educational institutions of state and/or parochial management, schools dependent on national universities of initial, primary, secondary education:
– Be a regular student of a state or parochial public school, at the initial, primary or secondary level.
– Residing more than 900 meters from the educational institution you attend.
– Be a student domiciled outside the city of San Miguel de Tucumán who attends educational establishments in the capital or in the interior.
– University and tertiary students of public management:
– Complete and authenticate the certificate of current studies by the director of the educational establishment.
– Student ID (original and photocopy)
– Be an incoming student in the current academic period in any academic unit of the UNT or FRT-UTN.
– For students not enrolled in the current school period, they must have at least four subjects approved in the previous calendar year. In the case of courses that have a calendar year with the same or fewer subjects, 70% approval will be required.
– Residing more than 900 meters from the UNT or FRT-UTN academic unit you attend.
The decree, which was signed in January during a massive event at the Government House, established the need to create a joint commission to monitor and control the implementation of the student ticket program. Said commission must produce monthly reports that will be submitted to the knowledge and consideration of the minister.
“We are taking an important step to strengthen education in the province of Tucumán. “It is the seventh year that we are recognizing the right of our students at different levels,” said Jaldo during the signing of the agreement with businessmen and universities. And he added: “Transportation is one of the items that weighs more economically on the home of each of the families who have to send their children to study at school or university.”
Without providing figures, the governor assured that it is “a very important investment” that had been being faced by the Legislature (the benefit was created when Jaldo was vice-governor) and today the Provincial Executive Branch will face it.” As this newspaper was able to find out, the program will have an initial cost of $700 million per month.