education

School calendar reset

The school calendar was changed back to semesters after a minister reneged on suggested changes to the education system.

David Mesa/LA PRENSA

back to school: Students are scheduled to return to school on March 16 this year.1144623

After a previous announcement claimed that the 2009 school year would be divided into three-month long quarters, it was reported yesterday that the system will actually be reset to its original bimestral calendar (in other words, four two-month intervals).

The Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) had originally suggested the change to a quarterly calendar in Decree No. 660 of December 5, 2008. Since then, Minister of Education, Salvador Rodríguez, has changed his mind. The minister took the decision to reinstate the bimestral system after holding meetings with representatives of teachers associations and parents. All were in agreement with the quarterly system, with the exception of the Association of Professors of Panama, headed by Andrés Rodríguez.

In fact, in a statement released by MEDUCA, it was noted that, while the quarterly schedule had the backing of the majority, due to "the intransigent position of a small education sector, they were not able to reach a consensus."

Aixa Gómez, president of the Confederation of Parents of the Republic of Panama, expressed her indignation upon learning of the new position adopted by MEDUCA, claiming that “it is a mockery for parents.” Gómez said that the minister should not have taken a unilateral approach to making a decision that affects thousands of parents and students. Nivia Castrellón, president of the national union of private educational centers, said that education should be taken seriously, and that the back-and-forth changes have resulted in "frustration."

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