The Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) presented its management report for the year 2025 and laid out the numbers: 45 educational infrastructure projects delivered, which now benefit 25,000 students nationwide, with an investment of around 36 million dollars. The Minister of Education, Lucy Molinar, assured that these works were not left unfinished and that the money was used to complete projects that had been waiting for years. When asked about the main challenges in education, she indicated that there are several, mainly due to the delays the system is currently facing. New schools where they are most needed Molinar also reported that the construction of two new schools has already begun, one in Panama and another in West Panama, areas where population growth has spiked enrollment and left many schools short. Teacher competitions “without pull,” according to MEDUCA On the topic of teaching staff, the minister assured that the competitions are underway and are now conducted under the criteria of total transparency, leaving old practices behind. “Today the competitions are absolutely transparent; only the history and capacity of each teacher count,” affirmed Molinar. She detailed that the first competition has already been held and the second will begin in about a week, with the goal of having all teachers appointed before the first day of school. The 2025 school year ends this December 19 Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs, Agnes De León de Cotes, confirmed that the 2025 school year officially ends today, December 19, according to the current calendar. The new school period will begin on December 29, and meetings have already been held with regional directors and coordinators to organize and plan the next cycle, seeking to avoid last-minute improvisations.
