Return to school filled with uncertainty in Mexico

With bottles of gel, temperature checks and wide-open windows a new school year has begun for millions of children in Mexico

MEXICO CITY -- With bottles of gel, temperature checks and wide-open windows, a new school year began Monday for millions of children in Mexico. Officially, school is starting “in person, responsibly and orderly,” according to the Education Ministry. In practice, it will be a system that is voluntary, diverse and hybrid between in-person learning and virtual lessons in structures some call chaotic and others gradual. Thousands of schools will open their doors after a year and half of closure, but it’s not clear how many will do so, nor how many students will show up, because beyond the federal, state and local regulations, the final decision will be made by schools and parents. “There is complete uncertainty with respect to how it’s going to go,” said Bettina Delgadillo, director of a private school in San Pedro Garza Garcia, in Nuevo Leon, Mexico’s wealthiest municipality.