This Wednesday, October 14, there will be no classes at municipal primary and secondary schools in Providencia and Ñuñoa, at 12 schools in Las Condes and at five schools under the Santiago Centro Local Public Education Service (SLEP). Rain and hail on Tuesday the 13th caused flooding and damage in several municipalities in the Metropolitan Region.
According to El Mostrador, authorities will use the day to check the safety of the buildings, clean them and carry out repairs. The Ministry of Education (Mineduc) confirmed the list of affected schools.
In Providencia and Ñuñoa, the suspension applies only to municipal education. Private and subsidized schools in both municipalities must communicate their own decisions to families.
Providencia Mayor Jaime Bellolio said the water must be removed from the schools before they reopen. According to the mayor, the municipality received more than 1,900 calls in two hours. The priority was to drain buildings with flooded basements. For that task, the Regional Government will provide two motor pumps and the Municipality of Las Condes another five.
In Ñuñoa, the Municipal Social Development Corporation (CMDS) described the measure as a precaution. During Wednesday, its teams will inspect each school's infrastructure, look for damage and then decide what action to take.
The Santiago Centro SLEP, the state agency that administers public education in that area, identified leaks, flooded classrooms and playgrounds, damaged roofs, collapsed inspection chambers and electrical faults. The schools without classes are Escuela República de Panamá, Escuela República del Ecuador, Escuela Israel, Liceo Industrial Eliodoro García Zegers and Escuela Piloto Pardo.
In Las Condes, Mineduc reported that San Francisco del Alba, Scuola Italiana Vittorio Montiglio, San Francisco de Asís, Wenlock, Redland, Cordillera de Las Condes and William Kilpatrick are suspending activities. Padre Hurtado y Juanita de los Andes, Cumbres, Nuestra Señora del Loreto, Virgen de Pompeya and San Nicolás de Myra are doing so as well.
The sources do not indicate when classes will resume. The Santiago Centro SLEP said it will only return to in-person classes once it has verified that the facilities are in suitable condition.
