Increase in the cost of education is out of control

The cost of education, both private and public, increases significantly, so much so that parents who have their children in private schools spend around $ 450 million, and the state approximately $ 1,280 billion for public education.

According to the National Association of Private Educational Centers (Uncep), 150,000 students are part of the private education system, while the Ministry of Education (Meduca) reports that 800,000 students in the public system.

According to the Comptroller General of the Republic, the State invested in 2010 about $ 1,200 per student and experts believe that number has now risen to $ 1,600.

Meanwhile, parents invest in private education around $ 3,000 per year, taking into account the $ 450 million set by the Uncep.

State investment represents the contribution of about $ 800 per year for the working population, according to the latest survey of the Comptroller is one million 638 thousand 872 people.

However, the expenditure made by the State may even be below what a parent during the school year.

This is mainly due to increased cost of books, busitos college, plus enrollment in private schools.

According to the Authority for Consumer Protection and Defense of Competition (Acodeco), a book can cost $ 100, while schools require more than one book to students.

Regardless of many private schools require parents to buy the texts in a specific place, where many times the price is more expensive.

In addition, enrollments have been increasing, as shown in a comparative analysis of individual schools by the Acodeco.

The report noted that pre-school, 66% of schools in the sample (K) and 70% of primary schools conducted mass gains by way of annuity this year.

Also, 67% of the pre-media and 65% on average increased costs.

This means that 70% of schools surveyed increased its annuity for the school year 2016, compared to 2015.

The justification given schools to raise the increase in enrollment is the adjustment of wages to teachers.

In Panama, an educator starts earning $ 625, but there are cases of teachers who complain that they have come to collect $ 110.

Another reason for the increase have schools, according to the National Association of Private Educational Centers (Uncep), is the increase in the cost of electricity and other services.

However, the Authority for Public Services (ASEP) has announced that in 2016, customers in the electricity service nationwide, totaling 21,237 million, will have a reduction of between 2% and 6% rate by lower fuel costs.

On the other hand, in the case of schoolchildren, Olmedo Estrada, president of the Association of Economists of Panama, recalled that some years ago the college coach was between $ 20 and $ 30 a month, but now the same monthly fee is between $ 40 and $ 45 for cheaper.

Ie a parent is paying about $ 450 a year in the annuity transport your child.

Estrada says this represents a heavy burden for many parents because each year has been increasing, which makes it very expensive to finance.

Although government expenditure and parents, education in Panama is not the best.

Panama has risen to the #112, one of the last places for the quality of their education, among 144 countries, according to the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) of the World Economic Forum (WEF) position.

The approved budget for 2016 is Meduca $1,562,257,400; of this amount, $409,442,900 will be spent on subsidies.

Education Minister, Marcela Paredes de Vasquez, said the school requested $ 1,677.6 million.

The World Bank (WB ) said that Panama spent only 3.5 % of gross domestic product (GDP ) for education , while Costa Rica uses 5% and 12.9 % Cuba , but they are nations in which investment is reflected in the quality of education, according to experts.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) recommended that spending on education is 6% of GDP.

By one report, the OECD announced that Panama is below all international indicators in education .