The northern state of Nuevo León will end the school year early due to the heat wave that has caused abnormally high temperatures in most of the country.
Governor Samuel García announced the decision on Monday to end the 2022-2023 school year on June 29 instead of July 19, as scheduled in the Education Ministry (SEP) calendar. The state continues to be affected by extreme temperatures exceeding 47 degrees Celsius (114 F) in some places, even though the year’s third heatwave came to an end last week.
In a press conference, García and Nuevo León’s education minister Sofialeticia Morales emphasized that the measure was taken to protect student health, even though temperatures are expected to fall this week.
García stressed that the decision to close schools early was made in collaboration with parents, teachers and union leaders. He added that many schools lack power for air conditioning facilities.
Final exams will be conducted on Thursday, and Morales noted that the schools will remain open from July 13 to 19 for “optional workshops to reinforce essential learning through play,” thanks to a partnership with Save the Children and Lego.
The governor said he spoke with José Rafael López, the distribution manager of the North Gulf Division of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), to discuss the infrastructure required to install air conditioning in public schools.
With reports from Excelsior and El Economista
