The Minister of Popular Power for Education, Héctor Rodríguez, announced the implementation of a nationwide school rezoning plan to relocate students whose schools were damaged after the earthquakes of June 24th and assured that classes will resume on September 14th, as scheduled.
Through his social media accounts, the Vice President for Social and Territorial Socialism also provided an update on the damage caused by the double earthquake and the goals set for the next school year.
"This year we are going to rebuild more than 1.500 schools. We had serious damage from the earthquake: more than 900 institutions with minor damage, nearly 100 with structural damage, and 11 collapsed," Rodríguez stated.
Due to the contingency and the impossibility of completing complex works in time for the formal start of academic activities, the minister explained the strategy that the National Executive will implement.
In that regard, he said that the affected students will be rezoned and that two shifts can be implemented in the same institution.
"What will we do with the children in schools that need structural repairs or new construction, schools that won't be ready by September 14th? We're going to rezone them. Venezuela has enough classroom capacity, especially since there are schools that aren't being used to their full capacity or are only operating on one shift. We could open a second shift so that all the children—even twice the number we currently have in classrooms—can study. And right now, we're in the rezoning phase."
You can register even if you don't have documentation
The head of the department also ordered that students be enrolled, even if they do not have the required documentation.
He urged school authorities and representatives to expedite the registration process, prioritizing the guarantee of the right to education over administrative procedures or the lack of student documents.
"If there is a child who, for one reason or another, lacks certain documentation—no grades, no ID card, no birth certificate—you register them with me, and then, during the administrative year, we will update any missing files. But no child can be left out of the education system for bureaucratic reasons," he emphasized.
He reiterated that there are two weeks left before the start of classes and, therefore, "no child can be left without schooling. That is the main task between now and September 14th."
