Mexico reverses plans to end school year early for World Cup and high temperatures

The country's education ministry had initially said that the end of the school year would be brought forward by 40 days. Hector Vivas / Getty Images Share articleThe Mexican government has canceled plans to end the country’s school year almost six weeks early following criticism of the announcement. Mexico’s Ministry of Public Education (SEP) confirmed on Monday that no changes would be made to the school calendar, following a meeting of the National Council of Educational Authorities and a call from the nation’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum. On Thursday, the SEP announced that, along with state education authorities, it had “unanimously” agreed to move the end of the school year from July 15 to June 5. It said this was due to an “extraordinary heat wave” in the summer months and Mexico’s co-hosting of the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Canada. However, the SEP then said that it had agreed with the state authorities “to maintain the 2025–2026 school calendar and to conclude the academic year on July 15, as planned.” Mario Delgado, Secretary of Public Education of Mexico, said: “This decision safeguards the right of children and young people to a well-rounded education, whilst providing certainty and stability for millions of Mexican families whose daily routines depend on the school calendar.” Per NASA, multiple heat records in Mexico have been broken this year, with a new March temperature record in the north west’s Hermosillo of 107 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). More heatwaves are expected in June and July this year, above the usual range of temperatures around highs of 77-86F (25-30C). The following school year was also announced to begin on August 31 (which would come after two weeks of “strengthening learning”), leaving 87 days between semesters. 13 of the 104 World Cup matches will take place in Mexico, the last of which will be hosted by the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in the round of 16 on July 5. The announcement drew criticism on social media as well as from Mexico’s National Union of Parents, which criticised the decision for taking away lessons from children and called the use of the World Cup as justification for the move “unacceptable.” Sheinbaum subsequently seemed to indicate on Friday that the move was not yet final, saying that there “is no defined schedule yet” and that “we are going to wait until it is definitively finalized.” The Mexican school calendar will now overlap with the majority of the World Cup, which concludes on July 19. Mexico is in Group A at the tournament and will open the competition when it takes on South Africa on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca. Javier Aguirre’s side will then face South Korea a week later at the Estadio Akron in Zapopan in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, before returning to the Azteca for its final group stage game against the Czech Republic on June 24. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms