President José Antonio Kast sharply criticized the previous government's education management at an RN council, accusing failures in school food delivery. Former Education Minister Nicolás Cataldo dismissed the claims, noting the program serves over 2.5 million students daily through bidding processes. Cataldo linked the controversy to the current government's budget decisions.
On Saturday, April 25, at Renovación Nacional (RN)'s general council, President José Antonio Kast attacked the previous Gabriel Boric administration. He accused a 'disaster' in employment, growth, education, health, security, and public management, stating 'there is no figure where they can say they did it well.' In education, he pointed to Junaeb issues, such as school supplies delivered as late as September, and claimed they 'took food away from children'.
Nicolás Cataldo, former Education Minister, responded to Kast's criticisms. 'That reveals significant ignorance, because school feeding is delivered every day to more than 2.5 million students,' Cataldo said. He explained the program operates 'through bidding processes, with companies that supply the service permanently.' He questioned Kast's phrase, linking it to the current government's proposals to cut school feeding budget lines.
Cataldo also addressed school violence. He noted the current Executive's security measures 'were not sufficient,' as per opposition parliamentarians. He defended the previous government's school coexistence law, which included 'accompaniment, collaborative conflict resolution, and socioemotional welfare programs,' and urged its implementation.
