News and Insights

Venezuela’s Public Education Crisis: A Warning and a Call to Action

May 5, 2025

This Teacher Appreciation Week, while many around the country are celebrating the impact and dedication of educators, it’s important to shine a light on those whose efforts are often overshadowed by political instability, economic collapse, and a devastating humanitarian crisis—like the teachers in Venezuela.

The public education system in Venezuela is in disarray—some might say it has already collapsed.

A recent study by Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB) estimates that nearly 40% of classrooms lack a full-time teacher. The reason? Salaries for educators range between $6 and $11 per month—yes, per month—even for those with decades of experience.

Despite holding one of the most essential roles in society, Venezuelan teachers are among the worst paid professionals in the country. Many educators have either fled the country in search of stability, left teaching, or have taken on additional jobs—often in completely unrelated industries—just to afford the basics: food, shelter, medicine.

A Generation Left Behind

In many parts of the country, public schools only open two or three days a week. Teachers try to supplement their income with side jobs, but even when bonuses are paid (and they aren’t always), salaries may reach $100 a month—on a good month. Meanwhile, as of February 2025, the monthly cost to feed a family of five was $487, according to national reports. That means a family would need the equivalent of 243 monthly minimum-wage salaries—estimated at $2 per month—just to cover the cost of food.

More than 3 million children—about one-third of school-age kids—are no longer attending school, according to the Federación Venezolana de Maestros (FVM). The leading reason, for both students and teachers, is the same: the worsening food crisis, fueled by a broader economic collapse; they are forced to prioritize their survival over education.

In a country that has already seen nearly 8 million people emigrate, simply getting kids and teens to class has become an uphill battle.

This Should Never Be Our Future

What’s happening in Venezuela is a cautionary tale. When a country stops valuing education—starting with its teachers—it undermines its own future. It’s a warning to all nations, especially those with the means and resources to do better.

This is personal for me.

I grew up in Venezuela. I had the chance to work with public school teachers and spend time inside the education system—long before the current crisis reached this scale. I witnessed firsthand the impossible choices educators had to make and the hunger children faced day in and day out. For many of them, if they didn’t eat at school, they didn’t eat at all.

As the crisis worsened, I had the chance to work alongside teachers who had dedicated their lives to education, who went to extraordinary lengths to keep classrooms open and children learning—people who made the impossible happen every single day. I saw schools become more than just classrooms. They were safe spaces, community hubs, places that everyone helped take care of because they mattered that much. These educators were underpaid, overworked, and had very little to work with—but they showed up. They always showed up.

That’s why this issue resonates so deeply with me. 

The U.S. is home to thousands of trained, passionate, and committed educators and it has the opportunity—and responsibility—to do right by its teachers. By supporting and valuing these teachers, we not only empower them but also help inspire the students they’re ready to guide.

Education is the backbone of any functioning democracy. It should be a bipartisan priority because the wellbeing of our children and the future of our country are tied together. Investing in education means investing in teachers—and choosing a future where every child has access to learning, safety, and opportunity.

The U.S. is fortunate to have the resources, institutions, and infrastructure in place. The real question is: Will we use them wisely?