Summary.
The bill provides for free, timely digital access to the academic credits of students at all public and private educational institutions in the Republic of Panama and prohibits their withholding. It assigns the Ministry of Education (Ministerio de Educación, MEDUCA) responsibility for implementing and maintaining an official national platform. Schools would record grades, report cards, and official certificates quarterly and annually. During implementation, they could use their own digital systems if those systems give students and guardians online access, permit MEDUCA to inspect and supervise records, and support periodic uploads to the national platform.
The bill adds to Article 40 of Law 47 of 1946, the Organic Law of Education, a duty to create, administer, supervise, and maintain the Universal Digital Academic Records System (Sistema Digital Universal de Créditos Académicos, SDUCA), including its operation, updating, and security. It also adds a paragraph to Article 47 of Law 285 of February 15, 2022, establishing SDUCA as the mandatory platform for recording, keeping, and accessing academic credits, report cards, and school certificates. Those documents would be available in a secure, centralized digital format. The provision repeats the quarterly and annual recording requirement and permits compatible school systems during the transition. Administrative debts could not justify withholding or blocking academic credits in SDUCA. The Ministry of Education would regulate gradual integration within a maximum of three (3) years.
Academic credits recorded on MEDUCA’s digital platform would have full official validity for transfers, recognition of studies, enrollment at new institutions, and any academic procedure. A payment agreement between a guardian and a school under Article 47 of Law 285 of February 15, 2022, would have to be recorded in SDUCA. That agreement would not prevent issuance of a provisional certificate valid for enrolling the student at another school. Students and their legal guardians, MEDUCA when exercising supervision and oversight, and receiving schools in transfer or enrollment cases would have access to the digital academic credits.
Noncompliance would be sanctioned under Article 222 of Law 285 of February 15, 2022, without excluding other legal liabilities. Funds allocated to the Ministry of Education in the General State Budget would finance development, maintenance, and operation of SDUCA, with support from international technical and financial cooperation organizations if needed. The Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo), through the Ministry of Education, would regulate technical procedures for recording and digitizing academic information, granting access to it, and securing it within no more than six (6) months. The bill identifies the additions to both laws and provides for entry into force upon promulgation.
The public entities concerned are the Ministry of Education and the Executive Branch. The provisions would affect public and private schools, their students and guardians, and schools receiving students in the Republic of Panama.
What it proposes.
- Digital recording and custody of academic credits, report cards, and school certificates.
- Access to academic records and a prohibition on withholding credits because of administrative debts.
- Official validity of digital credits, system integration, and penalties.
Who it would affect.
- Students and their legal guardians.
- Public and private educational institutions.
- Schools receiving students for transfer or enrollment.
- Ministry of Education.
Key points.
- Provides digital access to academic credits and requires schools to record grades, report cards, and certificates periodically.Arts. 1-2
- Adds to Law 47 of 1946 a duty to create, administer, supervise, and maintain SDUCA.Art. 3
- Adds to Law 285 of February 15, 2022, provisions creating SDUCA, requiring its use and gradual integration, and prohibiting the blocking of credits because of administrative debts.Art. 4
- Gives digital academic credits official validity for transfers, recognition of studies, enrollment, and other academic procedures.Art. 5
- Requires payment agreements to be recorded in SDUCA and permits a provisional certificate for enrollment at another school.Art. 6
- Specifies who may access digital academic credits and applies the penalty provisions of Law 285 of February 15, 2022, to noncompliance.Arts. 7-8
- Establishes funding sources and directs the Executive Branch to regulate technical procedures within no more than six (6) months.Arts. 9-10
- Identifies the statutory additions and provides for entry into force upon promulgation.Arts. 11-12