School year postponed due to the devastating impact of the floods

The government has decided to postpone the start of the school year across the country from January 30th to February 27th, following widespread destruction caused by floods that devastated several regions, directly affecting hundreds of thousands of students and teachers and severely damaging the school system.

The floods, which have already caused deaths, injuries, and disappearances, have left a trail of extensive material destruction. In addition to thousands of damaged or destroyed homes, the storm affected hundreds of kilometers of roads and health facilities, compromising access to essential services.

The education sector has emerged as one of the hardest hit. In total, 401 school units suffered damage, with 281 classrooms completely destroyed. The situation is aggravated by the fact that 80 schools are currently operating as reception centers for displaced persons, preventing their use for teaching purposes.

As a direct consequence, a very high number of students and teachers have seen their school year interrupted. Estimates indicate that 427,289 students and 9,284 teachers have been affected, either by the destruction of their schools, forced displacement, or simply the impossibility of resuming activities.

Given the lack of minimum safety and operational conditions, the Council of Ministers justified the nationwide postponement as a necessary measure to safeguard the educational community. Simultaneously, the authorities are committed to assessing the damage and mobilizing resources for humanitarian response and reconstruction.

The costs for rebuilding the affected infrastructure in the housing, education, health, and transport sectors are substantial, exceeding $644 million. The government assures that the immediate priority is assisting the population and rehabilitating essential infrastructure, with the clear objective of allowing classes to resume on the new established date, February 27th.