Parents close Panama school, demand staff reinstatement and court repairs

Parents at the República de Polonia school in Panama City's Torrijos Carter neighborhood have shut down the institution, blocking teachers, administrators, and students from entering. Their protest centers on the dismissal of two female employees and the inadequate conditions for physical education classes.

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Today, we parents have decided not to let students and administrative staff enter because we are demanding the reinstatement of our cook and inspector, and also that they support us with the court, as the children are having problems during physical education.

The parents are demanding the immediate return of the school's cook and inspector. They also seek assistance in roofing the outdoor sports court, where they say students are exposed to the sun during physical activities. "Today, we parents have decided not to let students and administrative staff enter because we are demanding the reinstatement of our cook and inspector, and also that they support us with the court, as the children are having problems during physical education," one parent stated.

Concerns have intensified following reports of students experiencing health problems after exercising in high temperatures. Parents describe symptoms such as severe headaches, nosebleeds, and general malaise, with some students being too unwell to attend school the following day. One mother shared that her daughter, who has asthma, came home suffering from heatstroke after an activity held between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Other children have reportedly fainted or experienced similar symptoms.

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Many children when they finish physical education end up with severe headaches, there have been nosebleeds, they arrive unable to bear the headache until the next day, sometimes they don't come to school.

The parents are urging the Ministry of Education to address both the employment situation of the dismissed staff and the school's infrastructure deficiencies. They are maintaining their protest to ensure their demands are met and that students have a safe learning environment.

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The girl arrived home with heatstroke, she has asthma. Like my girl, there are other children, my nephew last time also arrived home with a headache, with malaise. Some children bleed from the nose, some children faint.