57 Percent of Rural Educational Buildings in Peru Need Complete Renovation

At a time when Teachers' Day is being celebrated in Peru, a striking report regarding rural educational areas in the country has been shared with the public. According to the statement prepared by the organization named Redes, at least 70 percent of school buildings in rural areas are at risk of collapsing, and these structures need to be urgently demolished and rebuilt. The report reveals that the rural educational infrastructure is at a critical level requiring action plans. It is stated that this situation directly threatens the safety of not only students but also teachers. It seems essential for authorities to produce permanent and urgent solutions to eliminate these risks.

The picture showing the need for the renovation of school buildings among different regions of the country presents significant diversity. Accordingly, Cajamarca in the north of the country stands out as the region with the highest rate of schools needing reconstruction, with a rate of 63,6 percent. It is followed by the Puno region in the south, with a dangerous structure rate of 59,6 percent. On the other hand, while this problem affects 15,3 percent of schools in the Madre de Dios region located within the Amazon forests, this rate is at 20,5 percent in the northern Tumbes region bordering Ecuador. These data reveal the decisive role of geographical location on the quality of educational infrastructure.

In addition to the current physical infrastructure problems, inequalities in schools' access to basic services also cause great concern across the country. While approximately 90 percent of schools in the capital Lima and Callao regions are connected to the grid for services such as water, sewage, and electricity, these access rates in the Amazon regions of Loreto and Ucayali remain at only 6 percent and 8,6 percent, respectively. According to the organization's data, 18 of the country's 25 regions fail to provide fully comprehensive basic services to even half of their educational institutions. This massive gap indicates a regional crisis not only in terms of physical structures but also in meeting basic needs such as hygiene and comfort.

Economist Franco Saito from the Redes organization evaluated the situation by drawing attention to the direct impact of physical infrastructure on educational quality. Saito emphasized that if classrooms lack basic safety and comfort conditions, teachers cannot solely focus on teaching. He also stated that keeping students' motivation high cannot be possible without providing a safe and appropriate learning environment. Reminding of international trends and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data, Saito stated that the presence of better-educated and equipped teachers increases student grades by 5,1 percent and raises their school retention rates by 9,3 percent. In this context, it was concluded that investments made in teachers and the creation of appropriate physical environments are among the most efficient ways to guarantee students' academic development.

The presence of a massive teaching staff bearing the burden of the basic education system in Peru is also among the important details included in the report. While a total of 570.408 people serve in the public and private sectors at the basic education level, 552.948 of this number work in the regular system covering preschool, primary, and secondary schools. While 12.804 teachers serve in the alternative system aimed at individuals aged 14 and over who are excluded or started education late, 4.656 teachers are employed in the special system that undertakes the education of children with mild and moderate disabilities. It is stated that improving working conditions for this vast educational army to be efficient is a strategic step for the future of the country.