Higher education is an emergency in the Amazon

Ecuadornews:

Only two of six provinces in the region have higher centers with a capacity for 5,500 students; each year 15,000 young people graduate. The IX Amazonian Summit begins in Zamora today: there will be five thematic roundtables, among them, one related to the need to create four universities, as stipulated by a law passed in May.

In Pastaza was created in 2002 the first Morona center, as a large university campus Napo offers four careers in Ikiam 60% of resources came from two provinces Zamora has a project to found a university Education superior has become an important demand of the Amazonian provinces.

A report from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC) established that in 2018, the schools in the Amazon graduated more than 15,000 students. According to figures from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (Senescyt) forwarded to the Public Media, 5,527 high school graduates applied for a higher education career in the six provinces of the Amazon.

The quotas are divided into 786 enrollments at the State University of Amazonia (Pastaza), another 700 at the Ikiam University (Napo) and the rest at institutes. Now, what about those 10,000 young people who did not enter the public higher education system? For Assemblywoman Gabriela Cerda, from Alianza PAIS and Napo’s representative, local universities are lacking.She says that 10% of the population has a third level degree.

Alicia Andy, president of the National Youth Advisory Council, says that young people who stay outside the public university migrate to Quito, Riobamba, Ambato and Guayaquil to study. For her the students who do not have resources, look for a job “or go the wrong way like drugs or alcoholism”.

As a Consultative Council they help young people, but it is urgent to create new universities in the Amazon and sources of employment. On May 21, 2018, the Organic Law for Comprehensive Planning of the Special Amazon Territorial Circumscription was published in the Official Registry after two years of processing.

The new norm was approved with the unanimous vote of the assembly members that in total summed 116 wills. Article 1 stipulates that the purpose of the law is “to establish policies, guidelines and regulations to guarantee (…) the right to education at all levels”. In addition to indicating that it is the right of the inhabitants of the Amazon to access education, the Law also states that the State should “strengthen the education system at all levels, especially higher education and guarantee access for the Amazonian population, according to local demand “, according to literal J of article 4.

For Assemblyman Juan Pablo Velín (AP), the Law allows the creation of four universities within two years. To talk about this and other issues, today begins the IX Amazon Summit in Zamora.

In the itinerary, the delegates and authorities will talk about the start of the procedure for the creation of universities. Prefects, assembly members and students agreed in explaining that the greatest need is the creation of at least one university in the four provinces of the Amazon that do not have one. (I)

Source: https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/sociedad/6/universidades-carencia-amazonia-ecuador