Papa Francisco Center in Chitré resumes classes after more than a month of suspension due to strong odors

Classes have resumed at the Papa Francisco Integral Training Center in Chitré, Panama, after a suspension of over a month due to persistent strong odors. Students, teachers, and administrative staff returned to the bilingual school on Monday, marking the end of a period of disruption.

The Ministry of Education (Meduca) announced that the conditions were safe for a return, following a comprehensive cleaning of the entire campus over the weekend. The cleaning efforts were carried out by maintenance crews from Meduca, with significant support from parents, teachers, and administrative personnel, fulfilling recommendations made by authorities prior to authorizing the school's reopening.

School activities commenced at 7:00 a.m. with the customary flag-raising ceremony, after which students transitioned back to their regular academic schedules. The director of the center, Ruth Frías, assured that the suspension did not result in a loss of instructional time. "There was no loss of classes. It was continuous. We carried over from Friday to today continuously," she stated.

Frías also highlighted the collaborative effort involved in preparing the facilities for the students' return. "All the personnel who could be moved to this institution mobilized; crews were used for each of the classrooms, and together with the strength of the parents, teachers, and administrative staff, we managed to return to Papa Francisco in a safe way," she said. The center, which serves approximately 1,500 students, is one of the newer educational institutions in the Herrera province. The strong odors had been reported by students and staff for about 40 days, prompting the temporary closure while assessments and sanitation work were conducted.