Venezuela to relocate students before school year begins

The Venezuelan Ministry of Education is preparing to move students from schools damaged by earthquakes that occurred on June 24th, ensuring classes can continue when the 2026-2027 school year starts.

The Ministry calls this process “school rezoning” and will assign students to active schools in their community, a nearby parish, or an adjacent municipality. Minister of Education Héctor Rodríguez asked parents to confirm their children’s new school assignments this week.

In La Guaira, one of the states most affected by the earthquakes, classes will begin on September 14th in 239 schools. Authorities will relocate students from the 32 schools that remain closed to nearby institutions. The Ministry explained it is temporarily assigning students while schools undergo repair or more extensive rehabilitation. Governor José Alejandro Terán stated that officials have developed a plan to distribute students from the 32 schools unable to open. Venezuela has approximately 27,000 schools.

Following the earthquakes, 900 schools sustained minor damage and are being repaired. Eighty-seven schools have severe damage preventing their immediate reopening and will undergo deeper rehabilitation. Eleven schools completely collapsed and require major intervention. Additionally, 50 schools currently serve as temporary shelters for families affected by the earthquakes and will be vacated before the school year begins.

Organizations like Cecodap and Redhnna reported that 27.3% of the schools they evaluated showed severe structural damage, and another 33.3% had areas that were closed or unusable. They support resuming classes but emphasize the need for safety and the provision of psychosocial support for affected students.