Paraguay's 'Open Schools' program faces criticism over unpaid teachers

While Paraguay's Minister of Education, Luis Ramírez, promotes the "Escuelas Abiertas" (Open Schools) program internationally as a model of inclusion, over 1,200 teachers are reporting unpaid wages for their participation. The teachers claim they have not received payment for their work during the recent summer and winter holiday sessions.

The "Escuelas Abiertas" program aims to provide artistic and sporting activities for children and youth during school breaks, intended to steer them away from drug abuse as part of the government's "Sumar" project. The initiative reportedly took place in 300 public schools, engaging 1,200 facilitators, including supervisors, principals, teachers, and some individuals not yet part of the National Teaching Corps. The program ran from January to April this year, with activities often held on Saturdays.

“

One of the joys that make me a minister is the Open Schools project, which transcends borders. Paraguay was chosen to share its inclusion experience at the largest congress on this subject worldwide in Berlin.

Teachers have voiced frustration over payment delays and alleged irregularities, with some stating they only received payment after lodging complaints. One teacher from Asunción lamented, "There were many irregularities regarding payment. From the beginning, only a few were paid, and the rest only collected after filing complaints with institutional or MEC authorities."

Further complicating the issue, the contracts for the facilitators were signed not by the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC) itself, but by the organization "Olimpiadas Especiales" (Special Olympics). Luis Cáceres Brun, former vice minister of MEC, currently leads this organization. Notably, Minister Luis Ramírez previously served as the vice president of "Olimpiadas Especiales," raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the financial management of the program.

“

There were many irregularities regarding payment. From the beginning, only a few were paid, and the rest only collected after filing complaints with institutional or MEC authorities.