Mexico education protests halt schools during World Cup

Protesters from the teachers' union CNTE have blocked streets and forced the suspension of classes in Mexico as the country hosts World Cup matches. The Mexico City government declared an educational holiday for the games, citing tourist concerns, while private schools remained open, highlighting disparities in access to education.

The protests occur amid a chronic underfunding of education. The 2026 budget allocates only 4 % of GDP to the sector, half the 8 % required by law and below the OECD average. Real spending has fallen 7 % since 2015, with cuts hitting secondary and higher education. Despite a 31 % rise in scholarships, 4.2 million children aged three to 14 are out of school, and Mexico ranked 35th of 37 OECD countries in the 2022 PISA assessment, trailing in mathematics, reading and science.