From early in the morning, the educational centers of the province of Colón filled up with students along with their parents on this first day of the 2026 school year. Miguel Salazar, 39, who attended with his two children at the República de Bolivia school in the city of Colón, said he hopes that the school months will be completed and there will be no strikes, as these affect the students. Likewise, Aracelys Montenegro, 44, who attended with her daughter at the Rufo A. Garay Institute, hopes that this school year her daughter can absorb all the knowledge that her teachers teach her. Throughout the province of Colón, 198 educational centers operate, where 61,000 students attend to receive education during this 2026 period, and some 5,000 teachers will impart their knowledge in both the public and private sectors. The only center that will not start in-person classes is the San Vicente de Paúl educational center, located in the city of Colón. Rosa Martínez, regional director of the Ministry of Education (Meduca), stated that this new school year represents an opportunity to renew hope and reaffirm the common commitment to the formative mission. The regional teacher detailed that the main objective is to continue raising the quality of teaching with equity, strengthening not only academic knowledge but also the values and human sense of each student. Therefore, she made an invitation to young students to return this year with discipline, enthusiasm, and dreams.
