Coparmex Quintana Roo Urges SEP Not to End School Year Early

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The Employers’ Confederation of the Mexican Republic (Coparmex) in Quintana Roo has urged the federal government and the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) not to end the 2025-2026 school year early, warning of negative consequences for learning, families, and the economy.

Authorities are considering ending the school year on June 5, more than five weeks ahead of the scheduled July 15 conclusion. Coparmex acknowledged that extreme heat poses a real risk to students and staff, especially in southeastern states like Quintana Roo, but argued that cutting the calendar short would deepen learning gaps and widen educational inequality.

“Protecting health should not mean sacrificing learning,” the business group said in a statement.

The official calendar, established by Agreement 18/06/25 and published in the Federal Official Gazette on June 9, 2025, calls for 185 effective school days. An early end would reduce that to just over 150 days, Coparmex noted.

The group stressed that any modification must be based on clear technical, pedagogical, legal, and budgetary criteria.

National and Local Impact

Coparmex warned that the measure would directly affect more than 32 million students in basic and upper-secondary education across Mexico, as well as teachers, workplaces, and families.

In Quintana Roo alone, the impact would reach over 184,000 primary school students and more than 92,000 secondary school students, plus hundreds of public and private schools.

“The change doesn’t just alter dates on a calendar; it reorganizes the daily lives of thousands of Quintana Roo households,” the group said.

Economic Pressure on Families

A longer vacation period would also create economic and labor pressures for working parents, particularly in sectors such as tourism, hospitality, retail, restaurants, transportation, health care, and private security, where work schedules are continuous.

The main concern, Coparmex said, is who will care for children during the extra weeks without classes and how families will afford it.

Citing data, the group noted that the 2026 general minimum wage is 315.04 pesos per day (about 9,582 pesos per month). Additional costs for summer courses, childcare, transportation, or time off work could be a significant burden for low-income households.

Coparmex also highlighted the disproportionate impact on women, who still handle most caregiving. According to INEGI’s 2024 National Time Use Survey, women spend an average of 33.4 hours per week on childcare, compared to 14.8 hours for men.

Alternatives Proposed

Coparmex Quintana Roo proposed keeping the original school calendar and strengthening preventive measures against extreme heat, including:

• Implementing hydration and ventilation protocols in schools
• Adjusting school hours in regions with higher temperatures
• Applying differentiated measures based on each state’s climate conditions
• Improving school infrastructure with shade, ventilation, and dignified spaces
• Establishing a mandatory learning recovery plan if any calendar changes are made

The business group insisted that any decision must be made with planning, responsibility, and a long-term vision to avoid harming the academic and social development of millions of students.