Panamanian education in intensive care without oxygen

The publication of the decree that regulates the school calendar of 2022 should “be seen as the signal to lift the shoulders of Panamanian education” says Panama’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of (Cciap) in a newsletter published Sunday, December 5.

Therefore, it must be guaranteed that “100% of students return to classrooms” and have as a priority “the needs of both infrastructure and curriculum” says the Chamber.

They would also have to focus on the academic recovery of the students, which should prioritize the areas of language, Mathematics, and Science.

The Cciap weekly newsletter also recalled that Panamanian education was, for years, a patient in intensive care. However, the decisions that were made for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic “have left the Panamanian educational sector without oxygen and with very delicate vital signs”.

They stressed that the recent results of the Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study of 2019, as well as those of the PISA tests in 2018 “reflect the precarious situation of students in such important subjects, such as Spanish-reading, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences, recognized as priorities for the functional performance of people ”.

Meanwhile, the recently presented report Panama, tell me !, an observatory that monitors the quality of life of Panamanians, reflected that 34% of students between 4 and 5 years of age “do not receive preschool education.”

In addition, in Panama, secondary education is not compulsory throughout the level, so adequate coverage levels have not yet been reached for the current parameters.

“In summary, a significant percentage neither receive the foundations of stimulation that prepare them for school life nor complete high school, which, as indicated by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean ‘is crucial to acquire the basic skills to be inserted in a globalized world”, Explained the Cciap.

The Chamber stated that in the meeting with President Laurentino Cortizo he emphasized his commitment to continue supporting and contributing in order to implement actions that lead to quality education for Panamanians.