A confidential source revealed that Panamanian students are being manipulated at all levels of the education system to support the protests initiated by teachers on April 23. According to the source linked to the education sector, mechanisms are being used to align students with the teachers' demonstrations, often without them understanding the causes of the conflict or the political background of the movement.
"They are being induced to march, to chant slogans, to carry banners, and to skip classes as part of a supposed commitment to the teachers' struggle. But what lies behind this is a covert indoctrination," warned the source.
Since the beginning of the protests, the teacher unions have demanded the repeal of Law 462, which reforms the pension system of the Social Security Fund, the rejection of the memorandum of understanding between Panama and the United States, and opposition to the reopening of the mine in Donoso, Colón. However, it is noted that the movement has lost its pedagogical focus and now promotes a narrative of confrontation, using students as tools of social pressure.
It is emphasized that several parents have expressed their discontent upon observing that their children are exposed to radical speeches and mobilizations without clear guidance or respect for the diversity of thought. "There is no space for dissent. This is not education; it is manipulation," stated the consulted source.
On the other hand, a teacher revealed that in several educational institutions, teachers threaten students with failing grades if they attend classes. A video is circulating on social media of a student urging parents to protest with their children in the streets instead of taking them to classrooms, which affects the teaching-learning process of the official student population.
In summary, it is suggested that the manipulation of students to support the teachers' strike is generating tensions in the educational sphere, limiting the freedom of thought and action of students who do not support the protests.
