This Friday, June 26, at 7 PM, students of Library Science at the Higher Technical Training Institute (IFTS) No. 13 are calling for a «semaforazo» (traffic light protest) at the door of their headquarters at Av. Alberdi 163, to denounce the closure of course sections promoted by the City Government, led by Jorge Macri.
The measure is part of a cut that affects IFTS No. 6, 13, 22, 27, and 28, and the Higher Institute of Leisure and Recreation (ISTLyR). According to the students, the plan aims to progressively reduce course sections starting in the second semester of 2026 and deepen the cuts during 2027, leaving only one section per subject in various degree programs.
«The City Government is attacking the Higher Technical Training Institutes that offer degree programs with professional qualifications. It wants to cut course sections and chairs, leaving more than 50 teachers jobless in the middle of the semester,» warned the student organization.
Far from being a simple administrative reorganization, they warn that the measure will directly affect students’ ability to attend and graduate. «In addition to hindering the careers of students who are already enrolled, it delays their progress and could extend the time to graduate by up to two years,» they argue.
IFTS 13 has offered the Library Science degree for over three decades in the City of Buenos Aires. Generations of professionals who now work in public, school, specialized, and university libraries have passed through its classrooms. Students emphasize that the reduction of course sections will worsen existing problems, such as high numbers of students per classroom and difficulties enrolling in core subjects.
They also denounce that the measure limits the ability to organize class schedules, especially affecting those who work and study. «They are taking away our right to choose sections, which limits our options to arrange our schedules,» they point out.
The offensive against higher institutes is part of a broader educational adjustment policy that Jorge Macri’s administration has been implementing in the City, in line with Javier Milei’s national government. In recent years, complaints have multiplied over closures of educational programs, infrastructure issues, lack of vacancies, budget cuts, and unconsulted reforms such as BA Aprende.
The conflict is also linked to the situation at ISTLyR, where students and teachers have been denouncing the emptying of a historic institution dedicated to training in recreation and leisure. For those leading this fight, it is not just about defending subjects or positions, but about confronting a direction that seeks to reduce public higher education and adapt the educational offering to budget adjustment criteria.
Faced with this situation, students at IFTS 13 have begun to organize and call on the entire educational community to join the «semaforazo» this Friday. «We believe it is essential for society to know about these measures and the consequences they could have for the present and future of public higher education in the City of Buenos Aires,» they argue.
The call aims to make visible that the closure of course sections is not administrative modifications, but fewer opportunities to attend classes, greater obstacles to graduating, loss of teaching jobs, and a new attack on public education. From IFTS 13, they state that the only way to stop these attacks is by strengthening student organization, coordinating with other affected institutes, and building a common response from the entire educational community against the cuts.
Para mí esto huele a la misma mugre de siempre. Jorge Macri y sus secuaces quieren cerrar comisiones para ajustar a los laburantes y estudiantes. Yo creo que la educación es un derecho, no un negocio. ¡A la calle a defender la bibliotecología! Vamos a cortar el tránsito si hace falta. Estos garcas no nos callan. Firma: El Che de las Bibliotecas.
Para mí estos vagos de bibliotecología son unos ñoquis. Cierren todo el IFTS de una vez, Jorge Macri tiene razón. Me parece que si no quieren laburar que se vayan del país. Viva la libertad carajo, basta de ajuste para los que laburamos.