Panama will begin reopening public schools on Wednesday, October 21, with an initial group of 770 schools across 12 education regions, the government announced on Sunday.
The return will be gradual and limited to schools that are operational following inspections after the October 9 earthquake. The announcement does not authorize every school in the participating regions to reopen automatically.
The Ministry of Education said administrative staff should return on Monday, October 19. Teachers will follow on Tuesday, October 20, to coordinate school activities and prepare classrooms before students arrive.
The participating regions are Panamá Centro, Panamá Este, Panamá Norte, Panamá Oeste, San Miguelito, Colón, Darién, Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro, Emberá Wounaan, Guna Yala and Ngäbe-Buglé.
Public schools in Los Santos, Herrera, Coclé and Veraguas will remain temporarily closed to in-person classes. Those provinces include many of the communities most heavily affected by the earthquake.
Their regional education offices will remain open to answer questions and assist families.
Schools that have not been authorized to reopen will continue temporarily under alternative teaching arrangements. The ministry has not announced a single return date for those institutions; further decisions will depend on conditions in each region and school.
José Ramón Icaza, the minister responsible for presidential goals, announced the initial total of 770 schools during the government’s October 18 briefing. He said the list of authorized schools would be available through the Education Ministry’s official channels.
Parents and guardians should therefore confirm that their child’s school appears on the approved list before arranging a return. Inclusion of an education region in the announcement does not establish that every building within it is ready to receive students.
The phased reopening follows the nationwide disruption caused by the earthquake and subsequent structural inspections.
Sources: Presidency, TVN
