Panama private education joins inflationary cycle

Educating children in Panama’s 889 private schools, in a country with one of the world’s lowest rated public school systems, is about to cost more.

Enrollment and monthly fees will rise in the next academic year, because of inflation, the increase in electricity rates and the high  cost of  some technology and science said teachers said Nivia Roxana Castrellon, president of the National Union of Private Education Centers. 

“The cost  increase,could extinguish some  private schools where the country's middle class have their children studying," she said adding that Panama needs a policy that promotes and encourages private education overall.
Aixa Gomez, a member of the Confederation of Parents of Panama, believes that many parents with eir children in private schools will not support the increase and  will be  forced them to seek alternatives in the public schools.
Gomez said that there will be an outflow of students from private to public schools, which can cause a high demand for matriculation.
The Ministry of Education reiterated that in 2013 it  will pay for scholarships students entering private schools when  monthly tuition costs less than $1,000.

Private schools  in Panama have an enrollment of 109 000 students.