• Parents in Mexico react strongly to proposal to shorten the school year ahead of the World Cup
• Authorities say the measure remains under review and not yet final

Mexico’s parents have voiced anger over a proposal to shorten the school year by nearly a month to ease travel pressures during this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Education Secretary Mario Delgado announced that the school year would end on June 5, leaving parents nationwide with less than four weeks to arrange additional childcare after schools close.

Following objections from parents’ groups and employers, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum moved to soften the announcement, calling it only a “proposal” still open to discussion.

Mexico, alongside the United States and Canada, is set to host the tournament from June 11 to July 19. Officials said the plan was driven by expected travel congestion and extreme heat forecasts across the country.

Delgado said the adjustment was agreed “unanimously” with state authorities, while the next academic year would begin on August 31, with a two-week preparatory learning period before classes start.

However, the proposal triggered immediate backlash. Parents described it as sudden and impractical, arguing it disrupted exams and left families struggling to find childcare.

Business groups also warned of uncertainty for workers and employers, calling for decisions to be left to individual states instead.

Despite earlier claims of consensus, several states rejected the idea, with some insisting they would stick to the original school calendar.

Sheinbaum later stressed the plan was still under review, saying it originated from teachers’ unions and state education authorities rather than the federal government, and that student learning time would remain a key consideration.