The Panamanian Ministry of Education has released official results for the 2025 academic year. Data shows 663,738 students in the regular education system successfully passed all their subjects according to a report issued this week.
Total enrollment for the year reached 807,929 students across the nation. The figures indicate a 91 percent overall pass rate when calculated against the 726,358 students who received numerical grades. The remaining 81,571 children were in initial education programs, like pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, where evaluation is qualitative and not included in pass-fail statistics.
Director of National Planning Dillian Staine explained the data. He said the statistics encompass all three trimesters from the official school system and are compiled in the institutional database known as Meduca SIG.
“We are still awaiting the closure of data related to the academic recovery program and the purification of records for repeaters and those who left school,” Staine stated. [Translated from Spanish] This process will yield final, more precise figures in an updated system report.
The current numbers remain provisional for a specific group. Officials noted the count of students who did not pass could still change.
Breakdown of Students Who Did Not Pass
According to the ministry, 62,620 students did not approve the 2025 school year. This group represents nine percent of the graded student population. It includes several distinct academic situations which officials are still clarifying.
Some students failed one, two, or three subjects. They are eligible for the currently active academic recovery program known as PRAE. Its makeup classes began on January 5 and will continue until February 6, with evaluations scheduled for February 9 through 11. Final grades for this program will be delivered on February 13.
Other students face more significant challenges. Those who failed four or more subjects will be classified as repeaters, requiring them to redo the entire grade level. Part of the non-passing group may also correspond to students who abandoned the education system entirely. These cases involve pupils not reported in a timely manner by their school administrations as student dropout statistics.
The results varied noticeably across different educational levels. Primary school saw the highest pass rate at 96 percent, with 391,695 of 408,015 students advancing. In pre-secondary education, 165,373 out of 185,813 students passed, an 89 percent rate. Secondary education recorded a 92 percent pass rate, with 121,927 of 132,530 students moving forward.
Educational Challenges and Priorities for 2026
During the presentation of the “Results 2025, Actions 2026” report, authorities outlined key focus areas. Major challenges for the coming year include a curricular redesign, reform of the Organic Education Law, school internet connectivity, and investment in educational infrastructure.
Education Minister Lucy Molinar provided specific details on connectivity goals. She announced the 2026 school year will begin with 100 percent internet access in all 3,102 schools nationwide. Fifty-eight percent will use fiber optic connections while the remaining 42 percent will rely on satellite links.
Curriculum modernization represents another significant shift. For the first time in a decade, Panama will implement redesigned programs for basic general education, academic secondary, and professional technical education. The new curriculum will incorporate two new competency areas, socio-emotional learning and entrepreneurship.
“All that was done last year. That is already done,” Molinar asserted during the accountability presentation for 2025 management. [Translated from Spanish] She highlighted that despite a “very complicated” year, work did not stop thanks to a very solid team that sustained the system’s operations.
Minister Molinar pointed to several infrastructure and professional development achievements from 2025. The Ministry of Education (Panama) fostered the creation of 30 specialty networks. These connected over 51,000 teachers to promote knowledge exchange and best practices. The effort drove professional development through more than 10,000 hours of teacher training under a framework of continuous education.
The newly released 2025 pass rate continues a recent trend. Ministry statistics from 2024 showed a 90 percent approval rate from a total of 820,401 students. The 2023 school year also recorded a 90 percent pass rate from an enrollment of 896,992 students. Officials now turn their focus to executing the planned projects for 2026 while finalizing the exact data from the past year’s recovery programs and enrollment adjustments.