education

Work left undone

As expected, some students were more prepared to start the school year thatn the schools themselves.

Like an unprepared eighth-grader praying for a miracle before an exam, more than one school director had hoped for a "last-minute fix" that would ready their buildings for the opening bell.

But, in almost all cases, that never happened.

At Escuela Ricardo Miró de Vista Hermosa, work on the library remained incomplete.

At the Escuela Emperatriz Taboada in Tocumen, work to remove fibreglass insulation was still going on when students arrived.

The same is true at many other schools across the country. Though officials promised the work would be finished, many missed their deadlines.

Nelva Reyes, a teacher at Escuela Ricardo Miró, said her school's library has been closed since last March, putting students at a disadvantage.

The school's gym is closed as well, and no date has been announced for starting to remove fibreglass from the facility.

The school is missing another important component, a principal.

Former director Ama Alvarado was reassigned to Escuela Israel, and she has not been replaced.