A report by the Auditor General of the City of Buenos Aires (AGCBA, for its acronym in Spanish), in 2008 91.5% of the works considered of the highest priority in the Buenos Aires public schools was not done. The work indicates that there were 95 parts in this category planned for the year, of which only eight were completed. 


Compared to previous years, the Watchdog said that in 2006 71.9% of the works of priority 1 (105 of 146) were not executed; while in 2007 the percentage was 76.5% (88 of 115). 


Also, the audit found that "39.6% of the projects planned in the multiannual plan for investments in 2008-2010 were not carried out." 


The dependence of the Buenos Aires government responsible for executing the works is the Department of Infrastructure, Maintenance and Equipment of the Ministry of Education. 


Regarding the parts actually carried out, the AGCBA verified "significant delays" in 77% of the establishments analyzed. 


For example, in the Middle School No. 2 provided for 240 working days, and up to the termination of the contract, had 596 days of delay. The same happened in the Technical No. 6 Fernando Fader, which estimated that the work would last 540 days and the contract was terminated 171 days after the deadline. 


In the case of works completed with provisional acceptance certificate, the Buenos Aires Audit tardiness counted 220 days in Maipú School No. 24, and 369 days at the Observatory of Human Rights. 


When the AGCBA visited the Educational Center Saavedra it was 1270 days (almost three and a half years delayed) that had sections that had been implemented in the last 540 days. And at School No. 18 Alberto La Roque, it had estimated that the work would take only a year, but at the time of inspection it had taken 1215 days of work. 


The Audit add that both these schools, as in other cases, the Department of Infrastructure should apply penalties for "violations in the terms of work," but it did not. Thus, besides the Educational Center Saavedra and No. 18, there were also delays that were not penalized in Technical No. 31 (350 days) and No. 11 Manuela Pedraza (106 days), among others. 


Deficiencies

The Watchdog analyzed 16 works created between 2007 and 2008, and found "deficiencies" in 75% of cases. 

In the Middle School No. 2, auditors found "exposed wires, balconies without fences, without waterproofing roofs, subfloors unfinished, loose wood and poor maintenance cleaning affecting users." In addition, in the establishment attend "students with disabilities who cannot access the entire building, as the lifting means provided (found) in the second stage of implementation", at the time of inspection. 

On the other hand, the Cooperative Technical No. 6 rent portable toilets because no work item specifications provided for the incorporation of temporary toilets for the school to work normally while the works were constructed. 

School No. 18, meanwhile, is supplied with light by a "temporary connection in the neighboring builder’s yard" says the AGCBA because the main electric meter was not connected. Furthermore, heaters could never be used by "deficiencies in performance", leaking water, the lift is not in use due to "lack of maintenance" and there are "no funds" to get it going. There's more: the auditors found that "many of the luminaries of the chalkboards were placed irregularly, shining towards the students and not the board, as it should be." 

The Observatory for Human Rights, according to the Watchdog, "leaks were recorded in different sectors; camera inspection of sanitary drains usually clog because they are invaded by roots of street trees; and the gas valve opens and starts operating the centrifugal valve, kitchen appliances generate noise pollution."

The audit report was approved this year on 2007-2008 data. By this time, technicians noticed that the fans of the School No. 11 were wrongly installed, "which gave no security", so called for the "slings placed to prevent possible falls, which happened in a classroom with students." 
 

Heartbeat.

The AGCBA added that during 2008, $60,620,219.50 in underspending of the budget for the parts was found in schools. The figure represents 34.97% of the current loan as of December of that year. 


In the previous year, the underspending amounted to $ 11,068,995, 10% of the budget.