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Soccer
Mexico reverses decision to change school calendar for 2026 World Cup
TL;DR
Mexico's education authority has reversed its decision to end the school year early for the 2026 World Cup. The final school date will remain July 15, following public outcry and consultations with educational stakeholders.
Key points
- Mexico's school year will end on July 15, 2026.
- The decision to change the calendar was reversed after public outcry.
- Extreme heat and the World Cup were cited as reasons for the initial change.
- Consultations included top education officials and the teachers' union.
Mexican children will be watching the World Cup, but they won't have the entire month off to do it.
The country's authority overseeing public education announced May 7 that it would end the school year June 5, more than a month ahead of the planned final day. Authorities cited extreme heat in some regions of the country but also noted the World Cup matches taking place in Mexico as another reason for the change.
The elected officials cited proposals from Mexico's largest teachers' union as the driving force behind the modification, but the decision was met with public outcry as parents and educational experts decried the late modification that cut more than a month off some state's class days.
That led the organization to convene an extraordinary meeting of the top education officials in each state plus Mexico City, and, after hours-long meetings, the group opted to reverse the decision.
"In the face of the call of our president, Claudia Sheinbaum, to listen and look after the proposals of mothers and fathers of families, caretakers, teachers and the entire educational community: The calendar for the 2005-26 school cycle will stay without change: The concluding date will be July 15," Mario Delgado, the country's Secretary of Education, wrote in a social media statement.
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Delgado left open the possibility there could be smaller modifications made to the schedule, and even those who came out in opposition of the change said it may make sense to give students holidays on the days when Mexican cities are hosting matches.
"There aren’t that many World Cup matchdays. They’re days of celebration, but there’s no reason to interfere with the rest of the academic calendar," Juan Carlos Flores Miramontes, the Secretary of Education for the state of Jalisco, which will host matches, told reporters Monday. "The rest of the year will flow the way that was planned. Today, we’re satisfied with what was a unanimous decision after dialogue. It was many, many hours of reflection. It was gradual. There were only a few of us states who fought the situation and gradually more and more joined. I think it’s in the best interest of the boys and girls."
Mexico opens its World Cup campaign on June 11 against South Africa in Mexico City, then plays Korea in Guadalajara on June 18 and returns to the capital for a June 24 group finale.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After backlash, Mexico reverses World Cup school closure decision
Q&A
Why did Mexico initially change the school calendar for the World Cup?
The change was initially made to end the school year early due to extreme heat and the World Cup matches taking place in Mexico.
What was the public reaction to the school calendar change in Mexico?
The decision faced significant public outcry from parents and educational experts who opposed cutting more than a month off class days.
What is the new final date for the school year in Mexico?
The final date for the school year will remain July 15, as decided after consultations with educational officials.
Who announced the reversal of the school calendar decision in Mexico?
Mario Delgado, the Secretary of Education, announced the reversal of the decision via social media.
