Panama suspended classes for Monday, October 12 following the earthquake and its aftershocks

Education Minister Ventura Vega reported that 219 schools have been damaged and that 24 school facilities need to be rebuilt. (Courtesy: Presidency of the Republic of Panama) Panama's Ministry of Education (Meduca) ordered the suspension of classes at all public and private educational institutions in the country on Monday, October 12, as a preventive measure following the magnitude 7.5 earthquake and the aftershocks that continue across the territory. The decision seeks to allow inspections of school facilities to determine safety conditions before students, teachers, and administrative staff return. The statement issued by Meduca indicated that the priority is to "safeguard the physical integrity" of the members of the educational community. Education Minister Ventura Vega reported that initial assessments identified 219 affected educational centers. Of that total, 24 schools would require reconstruction due to damage attributed to the earthquake. "There are 24 schools that we are going to have to build new because of the earthquake," the official stated. He added that the ministry is conducting a review in the educational regions to determine the extent of the infrastructure damage. Panama suspended classes at public and private educational institutions following a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. (Courtesy: Ministry of Education of Panama) Vega clarified that the number of damaged schools is not final. According to him, Ministry of Education teams are receiving reports from the country's various educational regions and forwarding the information to the Emergency Operations Center (COE). The minister noted that the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) will be the agency in charge of consolidating and communicating the official assessment of the earthquake's consequences. "It is not the final figure," he replied when asked whether the number of affected schools could increase. The suspension of academic activities covers both public and private schools. Meduca explained that the day without classes will allow technical inspections to be extended through Monday and subsequent decisions to be made regarding the use of each school building. People gather in an open space after an earthquake occurred near the southern coast of Panama, in Panama City, Panama, on October 9, 2026. (REUTERS/Enea Lebrun) The head of Education stated that students will receive classes despite the damage detected in some buildings. "Students will receive their education under any circumstance," he said during his remarks. Among the options considered, Vega mentioned the possibility of installing temporary modules in those centers that cannot be used immediately. The measure seeks to avoid a prolonged interruption of the school year, which is in its final stage. "The President of the Republic, together with this Minister of Education, has the responsibility of safeguarding the human lives of the educational community," he stated. The official also referred to the concern of parents, students, and workers in the education system following the earthquake. An earthquake caused significant damage to the infrastructure of a school in Guabino, district of Tolé. (Courtesy: Social media) According to his statements, the Panamanian education system has 54,620 educators and approximately 70,000 employees, including teaching and administrative staff. The minister also indicated that the educational community comprises more than 800,000 students. Vega assured that, as of the time of his remarks, there had been no reports of deaths linked to the earthquake. "Thank God, we have no loss of human lives," he said. The class suspension will remain in effect throughout Monday, October 12, 2026. Authorities will determine the next steps that day, based on the results of the structural assessments of the educational facilities.