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Given the complicated economic situation that private schools are going through with the collection of taxes, salary increases, and inflation, at least 5 private schools have already closed so far this year, for a total of 105 since the start of the pandemic until today in Yucatan.
The president of the Mexican Association of Private Schools of Yucatan A.C. (Amepac), Elías Dájer Fadel, warned that the financial situation for schools is complicated, so he anticipated that schools that charge less than 6,000 pesos for monthly tuition are at risk of closing at the end of the current 2024-2025 school year.
He indicated that the collection of taxes at the state and federal level is a factor that further complicates the financial situation, which, together with the salary increase that has occurred in the last six years, has triggered operating expenses in schools, and more than 80 percent of the income goes to cover the payroll of workers.
“We are going through a complicated financial situation, schools that charge less than 6 thousand pesos a month per student, are at risk of closing. This year alone we have already closed five schools,” he warned.
In an interview with Novedades Yucatán, the president of Amepac recalled that last year 10 private schools closed, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, the figure went up to 90, so, to date, a total of 105 private schools have closed their doors due to complicated financial situations.
He shared that with the previous state authorities, the association managed to reach an agreement during the pandemic, but indicated that with the new administration, they will have to present the critical situation that the schools are going through to come up with a new deal.
Dájer Fadel recalled that the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) should have made a consultation three years ago to see how the problem of education is resolved since the diagnostic tests applied have shown serious deficiencies in basic sciences.
He indicated that at least 8 out of 10 students have a deficiency in Spanish or mathematics, so he stressed the importance of addressing these aspects with the educational authorities in Yucatan.
Despite this panorama, he maintained that the private schools that are in operation will be able to complete the goals set at the beginning of the school year, as well as reduce the levels of educational lag brought by students from public schools that were changed to private schools.
“A big difference is already seen, especially in preschool students, who in the last two years have been attending in-person classes, and a difference is seen in terms of the achievement we have in reading and writing, especially now that they are going to enter elementary school,” he concluded.
TYT Newsroom