Bill 104.

Summary.

The bill sets out principles, rights, obligations and procedures for creating a Curriculum Planning and Design Program with Academic Flexibility for students with high levels of achievement in sports, culture and the arts in Panama’s education system. It links curriculum planning to flexible academic arrangements for students pursuing those activities. It defines high achievement, curriculum planning and flexibility in curriculum design, and artistic and cultural expression; the latter includes music, dance, theater, painting, declamation and debates.

The Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación) would promote academic flexibility after considering recommendations from the Ministry of Culture (Ministerio de Cultura), the Panamanian Sports Institute (Instituto Panameño de Deportes) and other sports, cultural and artistic organizations. For the First and Second Levels of education, the education system would promote sports facilities and its own cultural and recreational spaces, or ensure their availability for the students served. The Ministry of Education would gather recommendations from institutions connected with these students and coordinate implementation of a flexible curriculum. This coordination would include students with disabilities and would allow them to pursue sports, artistic and cultural activities alongside their academic work.

Academic, sports, cultural and artistic technical committees would endorse and determine, on the basis of results, which students would participate in the program. The Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo) would establish implementation procedures, including provisions for students with disabilities. Access would depend on the requirements set by the respective technical committees. To monitor participation, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture and the Panamanian Sports Institute would maintain a detailed register of all beneficiaries.

Public institutions responsible for awarding scholarships or educational loans would develop special programs for Panamanian or foreign athletes and artists who had competed representing Panama (Panamá). The bill links access to achievements previously endorsed by the named institutions and nongovernmental organizations, in official national, international or worldwide sports championships and cultural or artistic events, in the gold, silver and bronze categories. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture and the Panamanian Sports Institute would include annual budget allocations for expenses incurred by students participating in regional, provincial, national or international sports, artistic, cultural or academic events. Covered expenses would include air and land travel, meals, lodging and, where applicable, local transportation, provided that national or international federations or organizations did not cover them. The text mentions the Special Olympics, Olympic Games, Central American and Caribbean Student Sports Games, Chess Olympiads and Mathematics Olympiads.

The Executive Branch would issue implementing regulations through the three named institutions within no more than three months; the proposed law would take effect upon promulgation. The bill concerns the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, the Panamanian Sports Institute, institutions awarding scholarships or educational loans, schools, and the sports, cultural and artistic sectors.