Member-only story
The Mexican government is not mincing words about reopening schools next week.
Federal government tells parents isolation and school closures are more dangerous for children than Covid-19
Mexico has had some of the longest school closures in the entire world:
The country’s schools have been closed since March 2020 and, with the exception of some schools in Chiapas partially reopening earlier this year, have been closed since.
Schools have been closed for so long that many have been vandalized:
The assessment might also consider the condition of the schools as a factor. At least 11,000 have been robbed or vandalized during the pandemic, according to the education advocacy group Mexicanos Primero, and many others have been reported in a state of abandonment.
One Mexican NGO has estimated 10 million Mexican students will be two years behind due to the extended school closures:
The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (Imco) estimates that 2.2 million students are at high risk of not having progressed in their learning since schools closed early last year, while almost 7.8 million are at medium to high risk of not having advanced.
