President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo announced that the federal government will create 37,000 new seats for upper secondary education in 2025, as part of a national strategy to expand access to high school and reduce dropout rates. The initiative involves the construction, expansion, and conversion of school facilities, with a six-year goal of over 100,000 new spaces.
During her “Mañaneras del Pueblo” morning press conference, Sheinbaum explained that 18,000 new seats will come from the construction of brand-new high school campuses with an investment of 1.215 billion pesos. Another 8,910 seats will be created through the expansion of existing facilities with 580 million pesos, and 10,500 more through the conversion of secondary schools into high schools, backed by 759.5 million pesos.
The president emphasized that the goal is for students to begin classes by August 2025, though some schools will be completed in time for the August 2026 academic year. In parallel, the federal government is reforming the curriculum for upper secondary education to make it more engaging and relevant, in an effort to prevent school dropouts.
Sheinbaum also announced that all existing high school subsystems will be unified into two national models: General Baccalaureate and Technological Baccalaureate. In addition to the standard diploma, students will receive a complementary certification issued by universities, enhancing academic quality and future educational opportunities.
Education Secretary Mario Delgado Carrillo reported that construction has already begun on 14 new campuses across nine states, with four more to begin in July. Furthermore, 33 high schools in 22 states will be expanded and 35 secondary schools will be converted, marking steady progress in strengthening Mexico’s upper secondary education system.
