Panama: National University May See Budget Increase Next Year

National University May See Budget Increase Next Year

Story by La Prensa

The University of Panama could have a budget of $164.6 million next year, equivalent to 12 percent of what the government will allot for education throughout the country in 2010.

Most of this budget will go to cover overhead costs, notably payroll, which would work out to be $90 million for the staff working at the university's 30 regional campuses, according to Dean Gustavo García de Paredes.

Another 3 percent of the proposed budget would be destined for improvements to the school's curriculum and just $6 million would be invested in constructing and equipping new classrooms, a figure that falls short of university administrators' requests.

While some point to deteriorating conditions at the 74-year-old institution, admissions officers complain that entrance exams show a decline in the level of education demonstrated by prospective students.

Last year, only a third of the 18,000 applicants received acceptance letters to the public university.

Admissions Director Maira Thompson said while the small percentage of incoming students has something to do with the institution's restricted quotas to prevent a budget deficit, examining admissions figures in a broader context does reveal that 80 percent of applicants are public school students who tend to fail the entrance exam.

For that reason, psychological tests and exams focusing on history, science and geography will be eliminated from the list of entrance requirements, forcing students to focus on proving their mastery of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and other key subjects.