---
title: "Education Minister Faces Third Assembly Summons Over School Funding and Access Gaps"
date: 2026-04-09
author: ""
url: https://panamadaily.news/panama-education-minister-assembly-summons/
categories:
  - "Education"
  - "News"
  - "Politics"
tags:
  - "education system"
  - "FECE"
  - "Lucy Molinar"
  - "National Assembly"
  - "Panama"
  - "school infrastructure"
---

# Education Minister Faces Third Assembly Summons Over School Funding and Access Gaps

## What Happened

Education Minister Lucy Molinar has been summoned for a third time by the National Assembly’s Committee on Education, Culture and Sports to answer a detailed questionnaire on the state of Panama’s public education system. The hearing is scheduled for April 22, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the Salón Galerías on the fifth floor of the Assembly’s new building.

The committee, chaired by deputy Jorge Bloise, approved the summons by majority during its regular meeting. The call is being made under Article 49 of the Assembly’s Organic Rules of Procedure and follows two earlier invitations, first set for March 25 and then for April 8, 2026.

## Key Issues on the Table

Lawmakers are preparing a 15-question questionnaire with subpoints focused on major pressure points in the education system. Among the central topics is the planned $273 million laptop procurement and how the ministry will ensure equity in a system where many schools still lack basic services and professional equipment.

Other questions focus on whether schools in hard-to-reach areas will receive solar panels and maintenance for technology, and how the ministry will justify reducing the Special School Compensation Fund, known as FECE, from $150 to $60 per student, especially in poorer districts.

Members of the committee also want answers on the rollout of 2026 curriculum redesign textbooks in areas without connectivity, and on how the ministry plans to offset reduced English class hours without widening educational gaps.

## Broader Concerns About Schools

Beyond technology and curriculum, lawmakers are asking about school food distribution, including transportation and delivery in the poorest corregimientos. The committee is also seeking details on national milk production and inspection mechanisms intended to protect local producers.

The questionnaire further requests information on teachers removed from their posts, vacancies that remain unfilled, delays in the school snack tender, and education centers that did not open for the 2026 school year. Deputies are also asking for percentages of progress on construction projects and target delivery dates.

The committee has made clear that every answer must be backed by official documentation. That requirement underscores the Assembly’s push for verifiable data on spending, school conditions, and program execution across the country.

## Why It Matters

The third summons turns attention back to the relationship between the Education Ministry and the legislature at a time when public debate is centered on equity, infrastructure, and the use of state resources. The questions reflect concerns about whether investment is reaching the schools that need it most, especially in rural and low-income communities.

When Molinar appears on April 22, lawmakers are expected to press for concrete explanations on how the ministry is balancing technology investments with basic needs such as electricity, internet access, food delivery, and staffing. The hearing is likely to become an important test of the government’s education agenda and its ability to defend priorities before the Assembly.