An Unfortunate Proposal

ByLa Jornada Editorial Board

This editorial by La Jornada’s editorial board originally appeared in the May 10, 2026 issue of La Jornada, Mexico’s premier left wing daily newspaper.

This past Thursday, the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) announced that the school calendar would be adjusted to end the current school year on July 5, not July 15 as originally planned. Furthermore, the start of the new school year was set for August 31, with a two-week “learning reinforcement” period beginning August 17. Faced with a barrage of criticism for cutting more than five weeks of classes for 28 million students in basic and upper secondary education, the head of the SEP, Mario Delgado Carrillo, reiterated that the measure remained in place due to the heat wave and the start of the World Cup, and that the return-to-school date for the following school year would be reviewed.

However, President Claudia Sheinbaum denied that the modification of the school calendar was a done deal, maintaining that it was a proposal originating from the state education secretaries, and stated that nothing was finalized, while emphasizing the importance of avoiding lost class time. Finally, on Friday night, Delgado Carrillo released a recorded message in which he echoed the President’s sentiments: he said that the changes would be reviewed on Monday the 11th and assured that the final decision would be made “always prioritizing the academic progress and learning of the children and young people of our country. This must always be our top priority, as well as their health and other considerations.”

With this latest announcement, the situation seemed to be resolved, and it appears unlikely that the original proposal, or anything close to it, will be maintained. Thus, a conflict that, in just a few hours, mobilized several state governments; mothers and fathers who suddenly found themselves facing the problem of balancing work demands with childcare for an unforeseen period; significant sectors of the teaching profession; and even the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has been averted. According to this organization, the provisions presented as emergency and temporary measures to address public problems within the framework of the 2026 World Cup “do not offer a lasting, efficient, or effective solution; on the contrary, they shift the burden of public obligations onto caregivers, which directly impacts the well-being of children and their caregivers.”

Undoubtedly, much of the media noise surrounding the changes to the school calendar was generated by media outlets and commentators dedicated to political attacks, eager to exploit any opportunity to criticize the federal government and its transformation project, and lacking genuine concern for the students’ well-being. It is also well known that the world’s most important sporting tournament will create logistical challenges in the three Mexican cities hosting matches, and that suspending classes from elementary to high school would alleviate tensions such as traffic congestion. However, the rushed manner in which the project was announced, the magnitude of the reduction in the school year, and the contradictory messages facilitated the work of the attackers and hindered a positive reception of the announcement among the public.

Furthermore, everything indicates that the impact of sending 28 million children and adolescents home was not properly assessed in a context where the vast majority of parents do not have the time or resources necessary to adapt to such a significant and sudden change in their work and home routines.

It is hoped that tomorrow the federal Secretary of Education and his counterparts from the federal entities will find a formula that harmonizes the need to adapt to the tourist flow of the World Cup with the imperative to respect the school year and the realities of families.

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