Paraguay: School Supply Kits Still Missing After Two Months, Educators Demand Action

Paraguayan educators are expressing deep frustration as the academic year, now over two months old, continues to be marred by persistent shortages and quality issues with essential school supplies. The National Directors' Union (Sinadi) has voiced strong criticism, highlighting that a significant portion of students – an estimated 84,000 – are still awaiting their school supply kits.

This is not an isolated incident; for three consecutive years, the distribution of these vital materials has been plagued by delays and disorganization. The situation has escalated to the point where parents in some areas, like Ñemby, have resorted to road blockades to demand action, leading to the dismissal of a local police chief. The union is urging the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MEC) for greater speed in resolving these ongoing problems.

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The school supplies are completed in 94% of the enrollment, according to the data we handle in the educational institutions. We asked the minister for greater speed to resolve this problem. Too much time has passed.

Adding to the educational crisis, another union has denounced drastic cuts to the "Hambre Cero" (Zero Hunger) program, which provides meals to students, and has raised concerns about the subpar quality of the food supplies. This dual challenge of inadequate learning materials and insufficient nutrition places an immense burden on students and educators alike.

The MEC has stated its intention to improve the process for the 2027 school year by leveraging the updated student enrollment data from the Unique Student Registry (RUE) by December. However, the directors emphasize that the current problem lies not with data collection but with the flawed distribution system itself, demanding the removal of the Director of Student Welfare, Lorena González.

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There are entire levels that are not receiving [supplies], this is not a problem of enrollment data or RUE, it is a problem in the distribution. We had already requested the dismissal of the Director of Student Welfare, Lorena González.