The Education Ministry (SEP) on Thursday announced the reduction of the current school year by 40 calendar days, potentially impacting the development of nearly 29 million students across the country.
The announcement produced immediate backlash, and even President Claudia Sheinbaum appeared to question the decision, saying Friday morning that the truncated school year was not a final decision.
But Education Minister Mario Delgado was quoted later on Friday as standing firmly behind the shortened school schedule. Earlier he said his proposal had earned the unanimous support of education department directors from each of Mexico’s 31 states and Mexico City during Thursday’s annual plenary meeting of the National Council of Educational Authorities.
The reduction — if approved — would cancel 28 school days for public and private elementary, middle and high schools, a move that critics say would have a deleterious effect on students.
Delgado said the decision to end classes on June 5 instead of July 15 is in part based on the World Cup, which kicks off in Mexico City on June 11.
SEP’s official statement said the idea also stems from “an extraordinary heat wave,” though such action has never been taken before, not even in 2024, the hottest summer on record since 1880.
The newspaper El País said teachers decried the proposal, denouncing the failure to consult them and warning that it would be impossible to cover the required curriculum.
Parents also voiced concern since their work schedules, personal commitments and daily routines are based on the original school calendar. Some said the change could jeopardize their jobs or require unexpected day care expenditures.
The National Union of Parents said using the World Cup as an argument to shorten the school calendar is “unacceptable.”
The civic organization Educación con Rumbo said students would suffer in fundamental areas such as reading, writing, mathematics and science, in a context where only 34% of Mexican students reach the minimum level of competence in mathematics and 47% do not achieve basic reading comprehension skills.
#Educación 🎓 En 2022, México tuvo una caída matemáticas, comprensión lectora y ciencias, registrando su peor puntaje desde 2003📉.
De último minuto, México anticipó el cierre del #cicloescolar al 5 de junio. Más de un mes antes de lo previsto. ¿Qué impacto tendrá en el rezago… pic.twitter.com/JlNlaxRv1a— IMCO (@imcomx) May 8, 2026
The group said the decision “wrongly prioritizes factors unrelated to education over the right … to a quality education.”
As the backlash grew, the SEP announced on Friday that it would add days to the beginning of the 2026-2027 school calendar. Instead of starting classes on Aug. 31, students would be required to return for “reinforcement of learning” sessions from Aug. 17-28, with teachers returning on Aug. 10 to prepare for the school year.
With reports from El País, La Jornada, El Universal, Ámbito and Excelsior
