スペインの資本は公教育の削減に,金儲けの機会を見つける
El capital privado echa el ojo a la educación
La reducción del gasto público anima el interés de los inversores por un sector estable
El capital riesgo se suma a empresas tradicionales
Voces críticas contra la “mercantilización”
J. A. Aunión / David Fernández 29 NOV 2012 - 22:10 CET
Private capital casts eye on education
Reducing government spending encourages the interest of investors for a stable sector
Venture capital firms adds to traditional
Critical voices against the "commercialization"
J. A. Aunión / David Fernandez 29 NOV 2012 - 22:10 CET
If there is no business interest of the private sector. This maxim of capitalism is also applicable to the education sector. The economic crisis and the austerity dogma that has prevailed in Europe have as immediate consequence a fall in public spending on basic pillars of the welfare state and education. The lower government investment opens the door to the entrance of private money. Private equity has a long history of investing in education, especially in English-speaking countries and northern Europe. In Spain, private equity operations have been few so far, but the classrooms are interested, a lot. "This sector has always been attractive in this context is even more interest," said Enrique Leyva, founder of Magnum, a venture capital company that participates in the Angel Corcostegui.
Source: INE, Ministry of Education. / COUNTRY
The context is the provision of government-as calculated earlier this year sent to the European Commission to reduce public investment in education from 4.9% of GDP in 2010 to 3.9% in 2015. A drop equivalent to 10,000 or 11,000 million euros, at least in part and at least one who can afford it will compensate the families, because history says that when low public investment raises private and vice versa. Indeed, one of the main arguments against the protests education cuts is fighting "privatization", not only by what is left to invest, but because they fear that more of the public education money is channeled through companies: "We do not accept the dismantling of public education for the sole benefit of the private sector," the text in which the main confederation of students' parents (APEC) last month called families an unusual "strike parents."
"It offers a great opportunity, but it's very sensitive," says an investor
Some specialists, however, see nothing attractive classroom course. "I have the impression that private schools (and indeed universities) are usually not a very profitable business and that demand is not going to be very buoyant in the coming years, but you never know," he writes by email economist CSIC Angel de la Fuente. Private schools have been in Spain to generate a profit of 132.2 million euros in 2000 to 490,500,000 in 2010, which gives an average of 46,000 per school per year in pure private and 78,000 euros in concerted (subsidized), according to INE data of 2009-2010. The truth is that those numbers are not the most profitable business in the world. Furthermore, in the midst of the crisis, the fall in household income is also leading the students out of the concerted private and the public there.
However, as acknowledged by private equity firms, the second spending cut slowest to parents after the mortgage is investment in educational development of their children. "Profitability depends on each project. In our case, plus a service business is a lot of sensitivity because our customers are the children and their parents. Education is a particular economic activity, but that's not incompatible with having healthy companies, "says Mariano Moreno, a member of N +1. Alongside Dinamia, the venture capital firm N +1 Colleges owns Laude (a network of eight centers, one in England and the rest in Spain, with 5,300 students and a combined annual turnover of 40 million euros).
"The business of education meets two important requirements for venture capital. First, it is a very stable business that provides predictable cash flows over the life of pupils and that opens the door to leverage. It is also an activity that, if you do well, you can differentiate from the rest, you can add value, "says Leyva.
"They need first impair the public with cuts," complains a teacher
The residence time of the private equity business in a typically ranges from 4 to 10 years. "Given this temporary space, I believe that education provides sufficient margin for return on investment," said Leyva. In Magnum, so far, not been brought into education and see it as logical destination University of venture capital, as there is more area to cover. Private universities earned 183.8 million euros in 2010, some EUR 718 per student. "Education now offers a great opportunity for public-private partnerships as has been happening for years in the field of health. However, as a sector as sensitive and responsive to the public's costing more to take off, "says Leyva.
And yes, the truth is that it is undoubtedly a sensitive subject. Most protest movements against cuts in public investment in education (already accumulated several billions of euros) does not believe the arguments of governments. These, both the central and the regional, ensure that the cuts are essential to sustain the public system in the medium and long term. However, opponents believe the adjustments are taking advantage of the crisis to put more money moving into private education.
This is the position of Agustín Moreno, high school teacher in Madrid and member of the movement known as the green tide: "It is very clear that the exhaustion of the major sources of business and profit as construction and public works ( and not being attractive because industry requires large investments), capital seeks new business or expand existing ones. And always safe essential services such as education and healthcare. Unesco says that the business of education is a cake of two billion dollars a year. " In Spain, public spending is about 50,000 million euros and the family, other 10,500 million, according to a survey by the INE in 2007, including both formal and informal education, dining, extracurricular activities, and so on.
"To increase business niche need first impair the public with cuts and legal reforms to empty of students that network and privatize their attention or privatizing services directly. The offensive is directed from higher education (University) to the first steps, "concludes Agustín Moreno. "The privatization of the school is an attack on the right to education," for making "citizens, owners of these rights, users into mere customers private education system can only consume according to their budget," says the book edited by Moreno do we do with education (Akal, 2012).
Multiservice companies have switched to the school management
Professor of Economics, Pompeu Fabra José García-Montalvo defends private investment in education, but not in all ages. "It is logical that in the early stages of education, where investment has high social returns, is the public budget which predominates in educational funding. Moreover, this is where society is actually played equal opportunities. However, in the later stages and, in particular, the university, private participation should play a more important role, as the return on this investment is essentially private. To facilitate private participation in the future will need to improve the tax on donations and enhance the sense of belonging to the institution among alumni and corporate awareness of the importance of human capital and the benefits of collaboration between university -business ", says García-Montalvo.
But just at the other end, in day care for children under three years, where he also is going to force the private sector (this is a stage that is neither compulsory nor free in public). Agustín Moreno points to the example of the Community of Madrid, where in recent years has proliferated input multiservice companies (ranging from catering to cleaning or security) in the management of public preschools. The Minister of Education in Madrid, Lucia Figar, has repeatedly said that it is simply the companies that have offered better conditions (economic and educational highlights) for hire.
One is Eulen, which manages 50 nurseries and provides some sort of service (from clean-up) in about 1,000 centers across Spain. "In the education sector should have both education professionals and the management of this activity. It will not do to have the best teachers if we are not well-managed centers and vice versa. In this sense, I think there are companies unite knowing good teachers and good managers who are able to carry out quality educational projects and more efficient, "says a spokeswoman. A criticism, responds: "We specialize in numerous activities and sectors including education. As a private company it makes a profit, but employing more than 45,000 people in Spain and 30,000 elsewhere. The quality of the services provided is a maxim of our company and in the case of education is no different. "
For years, conservative discourse has said that private management is more efficient, among other things, because they have to deal with staff workers. However, those who argue that this is not true, wield very simple argument: private management never any money allocated to the service in question (see health, education see) because I always have to set aside a little to find the benefit. "It is false that private education is more effective or efficient. Remember that the public-and private-are not responsible for rural areas, most of the students with special needs ... "says Miguel Recio, director of school and educational statistician Foundation May 1 CCOO.
We need a debate without "dogmatism", asked the head of a company
Riverside, a venture capital firm that manages investments worth over 2,300 million euros and manages different schools-in Sweden, for example, manages several public-centers, argues that the entry of private capital in public education is no sacrilege . "In places where there is collaboration between the state and private equity has managed to maintain high educational standards and at the same time, more efficient management of public resources," said John Barnet, Riverside responsible for Spain, Portugal and Italy. In Spain have tried various operations with private schools that are not out for differences of opinion. "The reality is that reality is and shows that there is less public money to invest in education. In this context, there are two options: either the state fails to provide services or attempts to provide the same, but with less money, "he adds.
In Spain, believes there must be a discussion "reasoned" and without "dogmatism" in order to maintain a quality public education. "Not worth anything radical positions. Private management is not the end of public education. We need to rethink everything and you have to be open minded. If no private investors are guaranteed a minimum return will not enter this sector. Instead, the government can ask the venture capital that meets minimum requirements to ensure the public school system, "says Barnet.
In Spain, the structure of the school system limits these possibilities, with a vast majority of private education offered in the format of the concerts and a vast majority of private Catholic schools. Under this structure, the authorities charged the teachers their salary, although there are staff (what is called delegated payment) and the centers are committed to providing subsidized free lessons. However, the margin is voluntary fees (which are not always as recurring complaints) and complementary and extracurricular activities.
N +1 already owns colleges, universities Magnum is interested
In fact, a private employer CICAE complained of increased quotas by some concluded in recent years. "In Madrid there are charter schools that are not foundations, but profit entities that charge these 4,000 euros or more, when the state pays the teachers and most of the maintenance. Before you pay 60 euros but not now, "lamented Henry Maestu president CICAE.
Furthermore, the management of education is not something independent of the right to education, insists Miguel Recio, because the Constitution says so: "Teachers, parents and, where appropriate, students participate in the control and management of all centers supported by the administration of public funds. " Recio remember a few years ago and the specialists of the University of London Stephen J. Deborah Ball and work Youdell cautioned against "hidden privatization". "Is to reduce the weight of public resources and force families to pay for education segments that have a differential value: extracurricular, backup and support, languages, computers, music ..." said Recio.
In addition, there are other voices that complain that part of the education reform measures promoted by the government seek to "make education a business," he wrote in this newspaper Enrique Javier Díez Gutiérrez, professor at the University of León and Federal Coordinator the Department of Education of the United Left. For example, if you remove the money for school plans reinforcements PROA afternoon for struggling students, do not resort to families hiring private lessons of a lifetime? Or, if a student passes all courses that but suspended future bar examination, which could not continue studying, do not you will target families who can prepare an academy for the next bar exam?
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