Mexican parents criticise ending school year a month early for World Cup

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Parents in Mexico have criticised a plan to end the school year a month early so the country can accomodate increased travel during the Fifa World Cup this summer.

Education Secretary Mario Delgado said the school year would end on 5 June, leaving parents across the country with less than four weeks to find additional childcare.

After parents' and employers' associations objected, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum appeared to soften the announcement, describing it as a "proposal".

Mexico, along with the US and Canada, is due to host the international football tournament from 11 June to 19 July.

Delgado's announcement on Thursday cited both elevated traffic due to the World Cup and extreme heat forecast to hit the Latin American nation as factors in the decision to end the school year early, which he said was made "unanimously" with individual states.

The official start of the next academic year would remain 31 August, he said, but said two weeks of "strengthening" learning would take place leading up to that date so students did not fall behind.

But the sudden change of schedule prompted immediate anger from parents.

"The children are currently in the middle of their evaluations, and they've already been told that they'll be evaluated based on whatever they have. What kind of response is that?" one told Mexican newspaper El Universal.

"They want the city empty for the tourists, and we're left wondering what we'll eat," another was quoted as saying, noting the cost of summer activities.

The National Union of Parents condemned the "unilateral decision", describing the use of the World Cup to cancel classes as "inexcusable".

"The matches will only be held in three cities," it said in a statement. "Why affect almost 23 million students under this absurd pretext?"

Meanwhile Coparmex, an association of business owners, said the sudden alteration would create uncertainty for employees and employers alike.

It called for individual states to implement their own arrangements to accommodate for heatwaves and travel disruption while lessening the impact on the economy.

Despite claims of unanimity, the governments of three states - two of which are hosting World Cup matches - spoke out against the plan, with one saying it would stick to the original school year.

In the face of this criticism, Sheinbaum used her daily news conference on Friday to recast the announcement as subject to further review.

"Since many Mexicans like soccer and are following the World Cup, this proposal was made to bring forward the holidays," the Mexican president said. "But the school days of the girls and boys also have to be taken into consideration.

"So, it's a proposal. The full schedule isn't ready yet, and we're going to wait until it's definitively decided."

She added that the idea had come from teachers' unions and individual states' education secretaries, instead of being something the central government had initiated.

Mexico's role as joint host of the football tournament has already faced complications.

A crackdown on violent drug cartels earlier in the year that led to the killing of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartel sparked a wave of violence across the country from members and sympathisers, raising safety concerns.

Among the host cities is Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state and the epicentre of the violence.

Sheinbaum has stressed there is "no risk" to visiting football fans, while Fifa president Gianni Infantino said he felt "very reassured". Mexico plans to deploy thousands of security personnel to the streets during the tournament.