Journalists confirmed the accuracy of the information by visiting the technical school. The classrooms turned out to be dark and empty, there was silence in the classrooms, and the chairs were neatly moved to the desks.
The director of the technical school, I. Brante, explained that the transfer to distance learning is associated with extremely high utility and operating costs. According to her, at the beginning of the year she informed the Ministry of Education and Science about a sharp increase in costs and that government funding did not cover them. She added that in November it became known that the Ogre Regional Council had increased utility tariffs, including the cost of waste removal, which amounted to about 4,000 euros per month.
I. Brante clarified that since January, cleaning the premises has cost the technical school 24,000 euros per month, but since September this amount has been reduced to 18,000 euros. She noted that she analyzes her accounts every day with her accountant and looks for opportunities to save.
The director emphasized that, despite her preference for full-time education, the financial situation of the technical school leaves few options. According to her, the Ministry of Education and Science was repeatedly informed about the difficult situation, but the technical school did not receive due attention.
She also said that although the technical school managed to earn almost a million euros this year, these funds were not enough to cover increased utility costs.
In turn, the Ministry of Education and Science indicated that when analyzing financial reports for the third quarter, concern was expressed about the situation in three educational institutions, and the worst situation was in the Ogre College. Two other educational institutions remained unnamed.
Baiba BashkereDirector of the Department of Vocational and Adult Education of the Ministry of Education and Science, noted that the ministry does not see an objective justification for transferring students to distance learning in order to save money. She added that since the middle of the year there has been correspondence with the technical school, which noted that the financial problems of the institution could become irreversible. B. Baskere emphasized that the ministry had questions regarding certain items of expenses of the technical school, and a visit was planned to discuss them with the director.
Journalists also learned that the Cabinet of Ministers allocated additional funding in the amount of 100,000 euros to the Ogre Technical School. However, B. Baskere did not specify which items of expenditure raised questions from the Ministry of Education and Science.
Source: www.gorod.lv
