Violence Wave Sparks Mass School Absenteeism Across Quintana Roo

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Schools across Quintana Roo saw widespread absenteeism on Monday as parents kept children home following a wave of violence that swept through several municipalities over the weekend, despite education officials insisting classes would proceed normally.

The Quintana Roo Education Department (SEQ) announced that all basic education schools in the state’s 11 municipalities would operate as usual. “No school has closed its doors or withdrawn students, as has been mentioned on social media,” said SEQ head Elda Xix.

However, in Playa del Carmen, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Benito Juárez, Tulum, and Lázaro Cárdenas, classrooms from preschool through middle school remained partially empty. Only Chetumal reported normal school activities.

Parental Concerns Override Official Assurance

In Playa del Carmen, Bernarda de la Cruz, the local education representative, acknowledged low student turnout despite full teacher attendance. Preschools saw 31% attendance (1,356 of 4,573 students), elementary schools 13% (2,467 of 18,975), and middle schools 12% (957 of 7,960).

Parents expressed distrust in official safety guarantees. “We don’t trust the authorities. They always say nothing is happening, but police sirens are sounding constantly,” said Andrés Sánchez Uh, a parent.

Graciela Torres Aguilar added, “Education authorities haven’t announced whether they guarantee security in schools, so we preferred to keep our children home.”

Early Dismissals and Remote Learning

In Cancún, some elementary schools dismissed students at 10:00 a.m., while high schools returned to online classes. Parents reported being told they could leave children in class “at their own risk” with instructions to pick them up immediately if any incident occurred.

“They told us to be alert and come immediately if something happened. I just took my daughter home instead,” said one parent. “If it’s not safe, why risk the children?”

The National Electoral Institute (INE) suspended its mobile citizen service modules as a preventive measure, drawing criticism from parents who noted the inconsistency with keeping schools open.

Municipal Variations

In Lázaro Cárdenas, absenteeism reached critical levels of up to 62% in basic education schools. At Gabino Barreda Elementary, attendance barely reached 38%, with some classrooms hosting only six students. At Technical Middle School Number 4, absenteeism was 37%.

Some parents cited security concerns, while others pointed to a cold front affecting the region. Rural communities reported near-normal attendance with only 5-10% absenteeism.

In Tulum, schools near where violent incidents occurred saw particularly low attendance. At Zamná Middle School, movement was higher than at other schools but still below normal levels.

Felipe Carrillo Puerto reported 58% attendance in formal elementary schools and 52% in middle schools. Zazil Sosa, head of educational services in the Maya zone, noted attendance varied by level: 90% in initial education, 17% in formal preschool, 90% in indigenous preschool, 58% in formal elementary, 90% in indigenous elementary, 52% in general middle schools, 69% in distance middle schools, and 83% in technical middle schools.

In Chetumal, Sergio Acosta Manzanero, vice president of the National Association of Parents in Quintana Roo, said activities proceeded without incident, with any absenteeism considered normal for a Monday.