education

Students walk out of class

Students at the Colegio Secundario Venancio Fenosa Pascual in the district of Chepo brought classes to a halt yesterday when they walked out of the school to protest poor conditions.

The walkout was the latest in a series of student-driven protests at various schools across the country. The protests are meant to highlight poor conditions at the schools, many of which lack basic supplies and are in dire need of renovation.

The 1,600 students in Chepo said that they were walking out because of the government's failed promise to address the poor state of science labs, athletic fields and the septic system.

"In 2006, President Martín Torrijos came to our school and gave us a budget for [the repairs.] But the field looks more like a pasture than an area for sports. It floods when it rains," said fourth-year student Carlos Salazar.

Chepo's regional education director, Anabella Yepez, said the protest was unwarranted because significant upgrades have been made at the school, including to the science labs.

"There was $45,000 worth of work done to the biology, chemistry and physics labs," she said. "There was electrical work done. Fiberglass was removed. The government has responded to the needs of the school."

The septic tank issue will be addressed as soon as a contractor can be found to do the work. The government has set aside $90,000 for that project.