Quito Begins Phased Return to Class for 27,500 Municipal School Students

Quito is bringing 27,500 students back to municipal classrooms through a carefully staggered start to the new school year.

The return began Tuesday, Sept. 1, and will continue through Thursday, Sept. 3. The plan covers 20 Municipal Educational Units and 14 Municipal Early Education Centers, known as CEMEI. The municipality is coordinating education, health, security, mobility and traffic-control measures for students, teachers, families and administrative staff.

The schedule starts with the three years of high school and early education groups for children aged three and four. On Wednesday, students in eighth, ninth and 10th grades will return, along with first-grade preparatory students. On Thursday, students in fifth through seventh grades and second through fourth grades will join them.

Health support forms a central part of the plan. Each municipal school has access to four specialists: a general doctor, dentist, nutritionist and psychologist. Education Secretary Zadkiel Cárdenas said the program reduced teenage pregnancy by 50% and eliminated dropout in cases where students became pregnant.

The municipality is also working with businesses to arrange uniforms and school supplies through the Centros Comerciales del Ahorro. It is coordinating with Quito’s markets to promote healthy lunch boxes and nutritious food. Security and mobility officials will support student protection and transport control, while the broader plan includes infrastructure investment, technology upgrades, children’s rights and educational innovation in rural and urban areas. Cárdenas also highlighted mental health and the prevention of bullying.