Venezuela implements school rezoning following seismic damage

Authorities in Venezuela are implementing a school rezoning plan following seismic damage to educational facilities in the La Guaira region. In La Guaira, Governor José Alejandro Terán inaugurated the Complejo Educativo Darío Vivas in the Urimar parish. The new facility includes 28 classrooms, a dining hall, and sanitary installations, serving as a relocated site for students from the Liceo Hugo Chávez and the Centro de Educación Inicial 5 de Julio.

Education official Daniel González stated that over 6,000 students are being rezoned using a ‘point and circle’ methodology to prioritize proximity to their homes. Officials report that enrollment in these new locations has exceeded 50%.

However, the rezoning process has faced opposition in other areas. At the Unidad Educativa Nacional Luis Hurtado Higuera in El Junquito, which is currently serving as a shelter for 344 earthquake victims, parents have expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Education's plan. Approximately 550 representatives reject the relocation of 1,980 students to three private institutions, citing concerns over reduced instructional days, limited capacity at the assigned schools, and transportation difficulties.