Panama's Ministry Condemns Violence Against School Directors

The Ministry of Education called for respect, the use of official channels, and the strengthening of a culture of coexistence, legality, and equity, free of violence in all educational centers in the country. According to the ministry, most of the affected officials are women, professionals who hold leadership and responsibility positions, so these behaviors constitute a clear manifestation of violence against women, expressed through aggressions, intimidations, and undue pressures in the performance of their duties. On Sunday, the Ministry of Education reported that directors of different educational centers in the country are victims of situations of intimidation, aggression, and threats as a result of the administrative processes they handle due to the abandonment of their posts by some teachers. The ministry reminds that these actions are unacceptable within the education system, as they attack institutionalism, school coexistence, and the legitimate exercise of administrative authority. 'They have fulfilled their legal duties in strict compliance with the regulations derived from their functions, aimed at ensuring the continuity of the educational service and the students' right to receive classes,' it was stated. The Ministry of Education reiterates that no woman should be attacked or threatened for exercising her professional role, and that any form of violence, intimidation, or coercion will be rejected and addressed by the corresponding authorities. The ministry clarifies that the abandonment processes do not respond to reprisals or arbitrary decisions against teachers, but rather derive from the legal and administrative responsibility that directors have to ensure compliance with current regulations.