Panama’s Irreversible Damage to Students Education Levels is due to Teachers Strikes
Education in Panama is facing a profound crisis, with nearly 500 days of classes lost due to the pandemic and teacher strikes, affecting student learning and opportunities, especially in the public sector. Educators have been on an indefinite strike since April 23.
Panamanian education is facing a critical crisis, especially in the public sector, which demands urgent measures. Recent teacher strikes, coupled with the aftermath of the pandemic, have further aggravated the situation. Education specialist Nivia Rossana Castrellón points out that approximately 465 days of in-person classes have been lost due to strikes and school closures. There are also the days of class suspensions in 2025, bringing the total to nearly 500 days without in-person classes. Castrellón argues that this prolonged interruption has truncated student learning, creating a knowledge gap that is difficult to recover.
Education crisis: Teachers will Remain on the Streets and even get Arrested until Law 462 is Repealed
The teachers’ conflict over Law 462 remains unresolved, with the Executive branch defending the legislation and teachers demanding its repeal. Meanwhile, the suspension of classes affects thousands of students and concerns the educational community. The teachers’ strike, which began on April 23, marks its first month this week with no solution in sight. The educators’ main demand remains the repeal of Law 462 of March 2025, which reformed aspects of the Social Security Fund (CSS) pension system. Humberto Montero, spokesperson for the National Front of Independent Educators, stated that the teachers’ unions will continue their fight until the law is repealed. “The president listens to his advisors, but not to the people,” he stated. He also criticized the lack of dialogue with the unions and with specialists who, in his opinion, could provide technical solutions to the problem.
Parents and Students Close the Airstrip in Jaqué Demanding Teacher Appointments; Air Panama Plane Unable to Take Off
Parents and students from the Marcos Medina Ambulo Educational Center in Jaqué, Darién, held a protest by blocking the local airstrip as a means of pressure against the deteriorating facilities at their school. “The school is falling apart, the bathrooms are disgusting, the water is unsafe to drink, and much more. But the most important thing is the teachers because we are graduating students, and we need teachers to graduate,” he said.
A Group of Protesters Detains a SENAFRONT Agent in Darién; Clashes Occur
Clashes erupted during a demonstration in Darién. A SENAFRONT officer was arrested. A National Border Service (Senafront) agent was detained on the morning of Tuesday, May 20, amid protests by a group of people in the Arimae sector of the Darién province. According to videos posted on social media, the conflict arose in the context of a protest led by the indigenous community against Law 462 of March 18, 2025, which introduces reforms to the Social Security Fund (CSS).
Protests in Darien. Senafront agent released after being attacked by protesters. Senafront described the action as a crime and publicly denounced the violence perpetrated against public servants.
Panama City, Panama: The Darién Regional Prosecutor’s Office has initiated an ex officio investigation into the crime of deprivation of liberty against a National Border Service (Senafront) agent in the community of Arimae. Earlier, it was reported that the Darién province was plunged into chaos due to a protest by a group of residents in the Arimae sector of the Santa Fe community. Although the reasons for their discontent are unclear, they clashed violently with the SENAFRONT (National Police Force), to the point of depriving a female officer of her liberty. A group of angry people could be seen shouting insults and throwing stones at security agents who were trying to restore order to the situation, but, in the midst of the clashes, they detained a female member of the Senafront. According to a statement from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the incident occurred when the female officer belonging to the First Eastern Brigade was leaving her residence in Arimae for her workplace in Metetí and was deprived of her liberty by a group of protesters. The Attorney General’s Office urges the public to avoid acts of violence within the region, while reiterating its commitment to pursuing criminal proceedings before the courts of justice in appropriate cases, as established by the Constitution and the law.
