Mexico’s SEP Keeps School Calendar After World Cup Proposal Reversal

Mexico City — The 2025-2026 school year in Mexico has entered one of its most atypical and controversial phases. After days of uncertainty caused by the proposal from the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) to bring forward the end of the school year to avoid interfering with the logistics of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the education authority reversed course on May 11, 2026, confirming that the original calendar remains unchanged.

The decision, taken unanimously by the National Council of Educational Authorities, halts a cut that would have meant the loss of almost 40 days of effective classes.

"The school calendar for the 2025-2026 cycle remains in effect for public and private schools incorporated into the national education system in the United Mexican States, as published in the Official Gazette of the Federation [DOF] on June 9, 2025," stated an official press release published after the extraordinary session of the Council.

Taking today, May 12, 2026, as a reference point, the path towards the end of the school year is configured as follows:

• Official end of classes: Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
• Calendar days remaining: As of today, there are exactly 64 calendar days left until the end of the cycle.
• Effective class days: Discounting weekends, administrative release days and Technical Council sessions, students have approximately 43 days left.

It is important to note that the registration of final grades will take place on July 14th and 15th, coinciding with the official closing of the academic period.

Key dates and remaining class suspensions

For those already planning the end of the year, the SEP 2025-2026 calendar still includes some rest days and administrative tasks that will interrupt the weekly continuity:

• Friday, May 15: Suspension of teaching activities for Teacher's Day.
• Friday, May 29: Regular session of the School Technical Council (CTE). There are no classes for elementary school students.
• Friday, June 26: Last session of the School Technical Council of the cycle.
• July 3-13: Period for delivering report cards and certificates to parents.

The impact of the World Cup in the classroom

Although classes will not be suspended, the SEP has left the door open for the federal entities that are World Cup venues (CDMX, Jalisco and Nuevo León) to make minor adjustments to their local schedules if mobility is severely compromised during match days. However, these adjustments will need to be offset to meet the mandatory instruction days.

The message from the authorities has been clear: education in Mexico cannot be sidelined by a sporting event. With the return to the 185-day school calendar, the challenge now for teachers and students is to close the school year with the full completion of the study plans, in a summer that promises to be historic both on the courts and in the classrooms.

The controversy: Football vs. Education

The conflict erupted in early May when an official initiative to end classes on June 5, 2026, was leaked. The Ministry of Public Education's (SEP) main argument focused on the logistical and security complications that the start of the World Cup would entail in venues such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, in addition to the intense heat waves that have plagued the country this year.

The proposal sparked a wave of criticism. The National Association of Private Schools and various parent organizations accused the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) of violating the General Law of Education, which stipulates a minimum of 185 days of classes to guarantee academic achievement. For its part, the CNTE described the measure as an "attempt at political demobilization" under the pretext of sports, pointing out that the post-pandemic educational lag is still an open wound that does not allow for luxuries such as three-month vacations.

Faced with the threat of mass legal challenges and the rejection of several states in the Republic, the SEP backed down, prioritizing the stability of the education system over the World Cup fever.