Venezuela education crisis: Power outages and teacher shortages

Electricity shortages and a severe deficit of specialized teachers are threatening the start of the school year in Venezuela. Fausto Romeo Monte, director of Consenso Educativo and coordinator of the Education Commission of Consecomercio, reported that daily power outages lasting up to six hours are disrupting school activities and affecting student and teacher attendance.

These blackouts hinder classroom operations by preventing the use of audiovisual equipment, water pumps for bathrooms and filters, and fans, which is particularly problematic given high temperatures and large class sizes. The situation is affecting both public and private education sectors.

In addition to infrastructure issues, there is a critical shortage of educators. Romeo Monte noted that the Instituto Pedagógico de Caracas, which previously graduated approximately 1,500 teachers, now only graduates between 80 and 90. He attributed the decline in teacher training and retention to low salaries, suggesting that the average teacher's salary should be at least $350 to address the crisis and the aging workforce.