Paraguay's students demand better education, schools

Paraguay's students are occupying schools and boycotting classes to demand better quality education and end dilapidated schools.

The protest has already cost Education Minister Marta Lafuente her job and is poised to become the biggest political crisis of President Horacio Cartes' term so far.

Students gathering at a school in the capital Asuncion were rejoiced after hearing Lafuente resigned at noon Thursday following a meeting with Cartes. Her ouster marked a victory for the movement.

On Sunday, three different student organizations together presented a declaration with their demands, saying they will boycott classes until the president and a newly-designated education minister agree to meet with them, news website paraguay.com said.

Among their demands are education reform, a gradual increase in the percentage of the GDP earmarked for education, teacher training and school lunches.

They also want schools that are in critical condition to be declared in a state of emergency and ask for immediate measures to fund their renovation.

In a separate but related story, the website reported "yet another school roof caves in." The incident took place Saturday at a school in Itapua, a department in southern Paraguay.

No one was hurt in the incident, since the classroom had already been closed due to its state of disrepair. Video footage showed collapsed and broken roof shingles piled onto the floor, under an old blackboard.

"On Friday, a similar incident occurred at a classroom at a preschool located in the vicinity of the Asuncion Terminal," the website said, adding "no one was hurt, since only six of 25 children showed up for class."

Protests began on Tuesday with 10 students occupying a school in the capital, and quickly snowballed after students from about 100 other schools around the country joined in. The schools remained shut until Friday.

Student leader Camila Benitez described Lafuente's resignation as "the first victory."

"What we want is honesty, what we want is transparency in our country, and we will continue to fight until our last breath," said Benitez.

Paraguay's Minister of Youth, Marcelo Soto, told National Radio the government is already working on some of the students' demands, such as improving infrastructure.