Classes or football? The SEP thinks so
Mario Delgado, Secretary of Public Education, dropped the bomb: they are evaluating suspending in-person classes on the days that Mexico plays in the 2026 World Cup. Nothing has been decided, but the idea is already on the table.
“There is a request that there be no classes on match days, we are reviewing, we are analyzing,” said the official.
It sounds like someone has already done the math on the road chaos. And indeed, the head of Government of CDMX, Clara Brugada, has been asking for exactly that for months.
The traffic masterstroke
Brugada does not mince words. In March he had already launched the formal request to the SEP. Its argument is pure capital realism: fewer cars, less headache for everyone.
“We have asked the SEP to issue a definition regarding the suspension of classes on those days,” said Brugada.
The measure seeks to replicate what worked (half-way) in the pandemic: teleworking and flexibility. The idea is clear: empty the streets so that the sporting event does not collapse the city.
But here comes my trade skepticism. Do we really need to cancel education to manage traffic? Are there no other tools? It sounds like an easy solution to a complex mobility problem that we have been dealing with for decades.
The most ironic thing is the timing. Just as we are trying to make up for the learning lost to COVID, we are now contemplating interrupting it for… a football game. Historical memory is conspicuous by its absence.
The SEP says that “it is talking to the teachers.” I hope they also talk to the parents. Because in the end, they are the ones who will have to solve the family logistical puzzle while the authorities watch the game.
