Authorities in Mexico have announced plans to end the school year more than a month early as the country prepares to host matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Education Secretary Mario Delgado said the academic session will end on June 5, about 40 days ahead of schedule. He said that this decision is related to the rising temperature in many states as well as preparations for the World Cup.“We’re going to end the school year on June 5 because many states are already experiencing high temperatures, and there’s also the issue of the World Cup,” Delgado said during an event in Sonora state.However, he also said that authorities are considering bringing forward the start of the next academic year, which is currently scheduled for August 31.FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by Mexico, USA and Canada. The tournament will begin on June 11, with Mexico scheduled to face South Africa in Mexico City.Criticism followed the announcement, with Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum saying the decision was still only a proposal and no final academic calendar had been approved.“There is no definitive calendar yet,” Scheinbaum said during his daily press briefing. “It’s important that kids don’t miss classes either.”Many parents have reacted strongly to the proposal, saying that extending the summer break could create financial pressure as they may need to arrange an extra month of childcare.Public policy think tank México Evalua warned that the move could affect more than 23.4 million students and further reduce learning time at a time when educational inequality and educational gaps already exist.Meanwhile, authorities in Jalisco state, which is ruled by Sheinbaum’s political opponents, said they would not follow the proposal and would keep schools open until June 30 as originally planned.
