Subscribe via E-Mail

Get all of our news delivered fresh to your inbox every morning! Just tell us your name and where to send it using the form below.

PS – We hate spam too. We don’t sell or share our list with anyone, and we never send commercial email.




luxe
Friday, January 29th, 2016  |  USD: Buy 531.29 / Sell 543.92
20 years

Public high school in Puntarenas to be shuttered by health officials; 1,300 will be left without classes

Email this page

The Ministry of Health in Puntarenas has issued an eviction order for the Liceo Jose Marti high school. (CC/Flickr)

The Ministry of Health in Puntarenas has issued an eviction order for the Liceo Jose Marti high school. (CC/Flickr)

July 10th, 2014 (InsideCostaRica.com) The Ministry of Health in Puntarenas has issued an eviction order for the Liceo Jose Marti high school in Puntarenas due to the disastrous state of the facility.  Some 1,300 students will be left without classes as a result, due to a lack of alternate facilities.

 

The school has until later this month to close its doors.

 

Rodolfo Salazar, president of the Board of Education, said the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) had provided the school with the necessary funds to begin making improvements, but the school could not perform the work, as there were no alternate facilities for students while work was performed.

 

Some of the problems at the school include asbestos and 50-year-old electrical wiring.

 

Last month, the Ministry of Health warned that 57 public schools across the country were at risk of being shutdown due to their poor condition.

 

Health officials say the schools have serious problems, such as infestations of termites, mice, bats, and other pests; lack of toilets, electricity and water; in addition to sewage problems.  Officials say the problems have been ongoing since 2011.

 

Other problems include a lack of wheelchair ramps, fire extinguishers, emergency plans, and unsafe gas tanks.

 

The fate of the 1,300 students to be left without a school is unknown.

costa rica news

ATTENTION: If you are seeing this message,


Advertisement


Get our news delivered fresh to your inbox every morning.

Click here to subscribe to our email list. We hate spam too and never send commercial email.

Like us on Facebook and receive our news in your timeline

  • Ben

    These kids parents pay Taxes and this is what they get from the goverment of Costa Rica. Education System in CR is a mess teachers and building are a disaster. Puntarenas has been over looked for 20 years. Shame on PLN and good luck PAC goverment you need a miracle to stay a float

  • Sara Ford

    When the Ministry of Health closed the primary school in Cahuita a few years ago, the parents and local community pitched in to do the necessary repairs and in the meantime, the students were educated in makeshift classrooms in the town. The parents pay taxes and the school should be maintained by the Government but the idea that everyone stands back and waits for San Jose to make its move, suggests that there is no local community and no motivation to work together. I wish the people of Puntarenas the best of luck in getting their school back in operation fast.

    • Ben

      Parents pay taxes and also run the school system whats next we will fill the pot holes in as well.

  • duke ster

    I feel sorry for those kids. Yes -the parents pay taxes and the corrupt officials take all they can with the outrageous pensions ( revealed here on Inside Costa Rica on another discussion) and however else they can take and fill their pockets. I have never seen a more selfish people in my life than the Ticos. It’s me me me=– just observe them on the roads– me me me– almost never giving the right of way and honking BEFORE the traffic light even changes–I mean after all- each Tico driver believes it’s his road after all– you are in the way–it’s his road. The only descent Ticos ( I am speaking about drivers here–not the people in general) are the ones who have lived in the USA for a while and see how to survive without constantly honking and believing the only way is his way. I was even way up the mountain in Heredia and practically no one on the road-I was parallel parking on the street and sure enough here comes some selfish Tico in his pickup-drives up and starts honking–couldn’t wait until I finished parallel parking. Honk Honk– well after all–didn’t I realize this was HIS road? Actually they need some REDNECK JUSTICE– a good “ol punch in the head! Then maybe they will learn some respect. There are really good Ticos–I have met some so please don’t someone say I am Tico bashing. I am simply pointing out some major character flaws of the Ticos. It is a great place to live if you can overlook the character flaws of the majority. The people are generally good natured and will help you in almost any situation if they can–not like in USA where the majority of people will drive right by you and not help. So I am just venting about the f’in honking. When you get adjusted to living in a small town– things are much different and you don’t hear the mean spirited honking. Maybe it’s just a result of living on top of each other all the time– too many people in a small space and then bad character comes out–who knows? Have a great day!

  • Ben

    I went and Checked the school out over the weekend. What i saw scared me to death. Dead and alive mice everywhere inside and outside broken windows old paint from the 1960 falling everywhere i walked in and looked in the bathrooms they had no soap dispenser and toilets that where smashed and cracked and leaking on the floor. I talked to a few people near by they said San Jose goverment could care less about Puntarenas they said when you ask anything of San Jose they say go back to Puntarenas and shut up. Also many Puntarenas people say the San Jose goverment comes during an election but after the election you will never see them.

Popular Content