Mexican parents are outraged after the government announced it will end the school year a month early to accommodate increased travel during the Fifa World Cup this summer. The decision, made to alleviate traffic and heat concerns, has left parents scrambling to find childcare for their children.
The school year will now end on June 5, with the next academic year starting on August 31. Education Secretary Mario Delgado cited elevated traffic and extreme heat as factors in the decision, which he claimed was made unanimously with individual states. However, the sudden change has prompted anger from parents, employers, and the National Union of Parents, who condemned the “unilateral decision” as “inexcusable”.
World Cup Disruption
The World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with the US and Canada from June 11 to July 19, is expected to bring in thousands of tourists, causing travel disruptions and increased traffic. The Mexican government plans to deploy thousands of security personnel to the streets during the tournament, which will be held in several cities, including Guadalajara, the epicenter of recent violence.
Despite the government’s claims of unanimity, several states have spoken out against the plan, with one saying it will stick to the original school year. The National Union of Parents argued that the World Cup matches will only be held in three cities, and it is unfair to affect almost 23 million students.
The Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has since recast the announcement as a proposal, stating that the school days of the girls and boys must be taken into consideration. The idea, which came from teachers’ unions and individual states’ education secretaries, will be reviewed further before a final decision is made.
Reactions and Implications
The sudden alteration has created uncertainty for employees and employers alike, with the association of business owners, Coparmex, calling for individual states to implement their own arrangements to accommodate for heatwaves and travel disruption while lessening the impact on the economy. Parents have also expressed concerns about the cost of summer activities and the impact on their children’s education.
The controversy surrounding the World Cup in Mexico has already been marred by safety concerns, following a crackdown on violent drug cartels earlier in the year. Despite these concerns, the Mexican government and Fifa president Gianni Infantino have stressed that there is “no risk” to visiting football fans.
