6% unwanted target for the Basque Government
UNESCO recommends that educational investment in any country should reach at least 6% of its GDP. The new budgets approved by the Parliament of Vitoria-Gasteiz have awarded the Department of Education a budget of EUR 3.108 million, an increase of 6.5% compared to 2020. This amount includes funds intended to cover measures taken against the crisis caused by COVID-19. But, despite this exceptional figure, it accounts for about 4% of GDP planned for 2021, far from the 6% that STEILAS repeatedly claims. Seeing that in 2010 the educational budget was 4.18% of GDP, an indicator of the importance of education for this coalition government of the PNV-PSE.
Therefore, this item is not sufficient to meet the challenges of the educational system and to materialise the wishes of the Basque Government itself: “Education is therefore a great challenge for the country. Ensuring inclusive, equitable and quality education is the best tool for achieving sustainable and integrated growth.”
The more detailed analysis of the educational budget leads us to conclude that the relay in the Department has not led to a substantial change in educational policy. The first commitment contained in the Government Agreement signed by the PNV and the PSOE is as follows: “To promote an Equitable and Quality Educational Service, recognizing the fundamental character of the Basque Public School”. In the draft budget, however, there is no indication that the Basque Government will actually fulfil this commitment.
"This item is not enough to meet the challenges of the educational system and to materialise the wishes of the Basque Government itself"
Financing of concerted private centres continues to increase. Thus, the provision for educational concerts exceeds EUR 661 million, while educational centres that distinguish students by sex continue to be set up. Instead of allocating that money to promote exclusionary projects that are a setback in social cohesion, it could be used to promote inclusive, equitable and feminist education.
The draft budget will be accompanied by the approval of the economic support modules of the centres, i.e. educational concerts for the public financing of private centres. With regard to 2020, the increase in modules is generally around 1.85% and staff expenditure is around 2%. The draft budget also includes: “2021. In 1999, the total annual remuneration of the staff in the service of the General Administration of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, not subject to the work of the self-employed organizations, will not experience an overall increase of more than 0.9% compared to those in force on 31 December 2020”.
Regarding cycle 0-3, Consortium Manager Haurreskolak recently stated that the budgets are insufficient and that the agreements signed cannot be complied with. However, the provision for subsidising private nursery schools and classrooms 0-3 of private schools (over EUR 26 million) is maintained and, despite having fewer pupils, support per pupil will increase.
Highlights are the increase in the Innovation Fund Programme. This fund was included in the budget line for Education 2020 (EUR 560,000) but in the 2021 project it amounts to EUR 10.5 million. This is due to the fact that items included in other programmes have previously been moved, especially in research programmes. Therefore, there is no real impetus for educational research and innovation. Once again, concerted private centres (around EUR 3 million) and foundations (EUR 4.5 million) will bear a significant part of the line.
When we talk about 6%, we are not dreaming, we know that the economic situation is not the best, but it is time, for a long time, to change the Basque tax system, without jeopardising the future to a single card of indebtedness, and to opt for more dignified and progressive taxation. The political parties that govern us should act courageously to ensure that the wealth is distributed and that quality public services are guaranteed.
Finally, STEILAS calls for sufficient budgets to favour the public sector, since the consolidation of extraordinary items, to cover possible agreements arising from the negotiating tables, to facilitate the free provision of the Haurreskolak Consortium and to put an end to the universal conclusion of private centres. The Basque public school needs to survive a permanent fund of money, which currently has only the concerted one.
Funding for the public sector, including public education, should be a priority and, to this end, the necessary appropriations should be shielded in the budgets. Because, over and above the false freedom of choice of an educational centre that aims to finance educational enterprises, public education must be our axis. That is why we call on the Department of Education, if it has the responsibility of all of us, to opt for a Basque public school of all and for all. And as a meeting point of all and all, also as a tool of social cohesion for this school to be of quality, secular, free, inclusive, plural, feminist and internationalist.
Bidali zure iritzi artikuluak iritzia@argia.eus helbide elektronikora
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