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Students protest lack of teachers and building deficiencies at National University of Frontera
🇵🇪 Peru /Culture & Society

Students protest lack of teachers and building deficiencies at National University of Frontera

From La República · (11m ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Hundreds of students at the National University of Frontera (UNF) in Peru protested due to a lack of faculty and deficiencies in a newly inaugurated building.
  • Students reported issues such as missing whiteboards, outdated projects, malfunctioning air conditioning, and cracked walls in the new Engineering Economics building.
  • Protesters demanded the removal of the current organizing commission, citing mismanagement and a lack of budget for faculty compared to administrative buildings.

Students at the National University of Frontera (UNF) in Sullana, Piura, took to the streets this Tuesday to voice their deep dissatisfaction with the current state of their institution. The protest highlights a critical shortage of teaching staff and severe infrastructural problems, even within a building that was only inaugurated in March.

The students' grievances are stark: classrooms lacking basic equipment like whiteboards, outdated project materials, faulty air conditioning, and visible cracks in the walls of the new Engineering Economics building. This situation is particularly galling given the university's focus on constructing administrative facilities while neglecting the core academic needs of its students.

Cuando hemos venido a ocupar las aulas no habían pizarras, los proyectos que habían eran viejos, el aire acondicionado funcionaba mal, había paredes rajadas pese a que se trata de una infraestructura nueva

— Leonor LlontopA student describing the poor conditions in the newly inaugurated building.

Demands are now focused on the removal of the current organizing commission, a temporary body appointed by the Ministry of Education. Students argue that this commission, led by José Molero López since 2023, has made repeated errors and lacks the vision to properly manage the university. They are calling on oversight bodies like Sunedu and the Contraloría to intervene, questioning the allocation of funds that prioritize new buildings over essential faculty hires.

As of this report, UNF has not issued an official statement, though student representatives are reportedly in discussions with the university administration. The situation underscores a broader concern about educational quality and resource allocation within Peru's public universities, a topic of constant debate and concern for students and educators alike.

La comisión organizadora ha cometido error tras error. Necesitamos gente nueva. Le hacemos un llamado a los entes fiscalizadores, la Sunedu, la Contraloría. No es posible que no tengamos presupuestos para docentes pero si para más edificios administrativos

— Student leaderExpressing frustration with the university's management and resource allocation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La República in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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