Background on the Situation
Heavy rains from tropical storms Priscilla and Raymond caused significant disruptions in Mexico’s educational system. The Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) reported that more than 182,000 students had to suspend in-person classes at 2,442 educational institutions due to the severe weather conditions.
SEP’s Response and Strategies
Mario Delgado, the Secretary of SEP, announced that 182,610 students have resumed in-person classes at the affected schools in Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Veracruz. These schools have been deemed safe, sanitized, and suitable for resuming regular activities.
Prioritizing Safety and Equipment
Delgado emphasized that the primary focus is on ensuring the safety, cleanliness, and adequate equipment of the educational institutions. The plan consists of three phases:
- Phase 1: Cleaning and sanitizing school grounds, including drains, classrooms, and common areas. Disinfecting water tanks and cisterns to ensure healthy and safe learning environments for students, teachers, and administrative staff.
- Phase 2: Currently underway, this phase involves replacing school supplies, furniture, lab materials, and teaching aids to fully restore learning conditions.
- Phase 3: Addressing schools with significant damage, such as repairing or reconstructing fences, replacing collapsed roofs or columns.
Financial Support and Resources
SEP has been utilizing its institutional insurance through Agroasemex, amounting to 3,200 million pesos, to promptly address damages caused by the recent rains in schools across the affected states.
Ongoing Online Learning
Despite the return to in-person classes for most students, 26,105 students from 229 basic, middle, and higher education schools continue their studies online.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Mario Delgado? Mario Delgado is the Secretary of the Mexican Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP), responsible for overseeing the country’s public education system.
- Which states were affected by the heavy rains? The affected states include Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, and Veracruz.
- What are the three phases of the SEP’s recovery plan?
- Phase 1: Cleaning and sanitizing school grounds, including drains, classrooms, and common areas. Disinfecting water tanks and cisterns.
- Phase 2: Replacing school supplies, furniture, lab materials, and teaching aids.
- Phase 3: Repairing or reconstructing damaged school infrastructure, such as fences, roofs, and columns.
- What resources are being used to support the recovery efforts? SEP is utilizing its institutional insurance through Agroasemex, amounting to 3,200 million pesos.
