Bill 284.

Summary.

The bill would create a Digital School Enrollment System for all official schools in the Republic of Panama. It sets out principles of efficiency, accessibility, inclusion, transparency, equity, participation by the educational community, and protection of students’ personal data. The Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación) would administer it with the cooperation of the Government Innovation Authority of the Republic of Panama (Autoridad de Innovación Gubernamental de la República de Panamá) through a secure online platform. Manual enrollment would be used exceptionally, with preference given to the digital system. The system would enroll students, receive and manage requirements through electronic forms, and allow users to check an application’s status. It would also protect data under existing rules and the best interests of the child, reduce time and expenses for families, and maintain traceable records.

The software and infrastructure would have to meet the information security principles and controls of the technical standards cited in the bill. The Ministry of Education and the Government Innovation Authority (Autoridad de Innovación Gubernamental) would set guidelines for an information security management system. Risk management, access controls, encryption, threat monitoring, incident response, and periodic audits would be required. A specialized Ministry of Education team would maintain and update the platform in coordination with the Government Innovation Authority of Panama (Autoridad de Innovación Gubernamental de Panamá). It would also operate automated, auditable backups meeting Tier III or higher standards. Development would fall to the Government Innovation Authority of the Republic of Panama or an outside company subject to public procurement rules. Enrollment requirements could be uploaded digitally, including as compatible photographs.

The Ministry of Education would train educational and administrative staff to use the system and assist students, parents, and guardians. It would provide users with free in-person and virtual training, as well as guidance at regional education offices. The platform would record and enable the tracing of access by private individuals and public servants with credentials. The Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic (Contraloría General de la República), the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (Autoridad Nacional de Transparencia y Acceso a la Infonnación), and the Government Innovation Authority could request information from the Ministry of Education about the system’s operation.

Implementation would be gradual, with a target that, by the year 2030, at least 90% of official schools could enroll students through the system. The Government Innovation Authority would have one year from promulgation to complete development. A pilot would then begin in at least ten schools selected by the Ministry of Education, which would evaluate its operation; the Ministry would implement the system nationwide the following year after the pilot began. At the close of each enrollment period, it would publish a progress report on its website and include it in its annual institutional report. The Executive Branch would issue implementing regulations within twelve months of promulgation, when the law would take effect. The proposal concerns the named education and oversight authorities, official schools, students, families, educational and administrative staff, and technology development companies that might take part in its implementation.