Mexico City: Authorities in Mexico have dropped a proposal to shorten the academic year ahead of the FIFA World Cup following criticism from parents, education experts and regional authorities, the government announced on Monday.

The controversy began on Friday when Education Secretary Mario Delgado unexpectedly revealed that the school year would end nearly 40 days earlier than scheduled, on June 5. The proposal was linked to preparations surrounding the World Cup as well as concerns over an ongoing heat wave.

However, after mounting opposition, education officials held discussions on Monday with parents and other stakeholders to review the proposal. The meeting had been called by President Claudia Sheinbaum, who had publicly expressed reservations about the plan.

Academic calendar to continue as scheduled

Following the consultations, authorities decided to retain the original academic calendar. The Education Department confirmed that the school year would conclude on July 15, while classes would resume on August 31.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada, is scheduled to begin on June 11. Mexico will play South Africa in the opening match in Mexico City.

Speaking earlier, Sheinbaum said the intention was to preserve the traditional six-week holiday period.

“The idea is to keep the vacation period to six weeks, as it has always been, and perhaps some students will start early, while others will continue with the previous schedule,” she said.

“The goal is for it to be a consensus decision. Now we need to listen,” the president added.

States and parents opposed proposal

Even before the proposal was formally withdrawn, two Mexican states had already rejected the idea of ending the school year early.

Parents and education groups also raised concerns, arguing that reducing classroom time would negatively affect students’ learning.

Think tank Mexico Evalua warned that the move could have serious academic consequences for millions of children.

“The decision... will reduce effective learning time even more for 23.4 million students,” the organisation said in a report.

Government promises security and infrastructure readiness

Sheinbaum also assured the public that adequate security arrangements would be in place for the World Cup matches.

She further said that infrastructure projects launched ahead of the tournament would be completed on time, including expansion work at the Azteca stadium and improvements to the Mexico City International Airport.

Agency inputs