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Schools in Panama are fairly good and the infrastructure is adequate. The Panamanian government has placed a fairly high level of emphasis on education throughout the last half of the 20th century. Overall, 92.6% of Panamanians are literate. In 2000, the World Bank approved a loan of USD 35 million to help the government improve the quality of basic education in a project that is expected to benefit about 60 percent of Panama's children attending primary and secondary school. The funds will be used to upgrade, expand and rehabilitate run-down or inadequate school buildings to accommodate a growing number of students in primary and secondary schools.

Many Panamanians send their children to private schools which are very good and many are internationally accredited. Some offer the International Baccalaureate that is recognized internationally. If you are coming for only a year or two, then you will probably want to send your children to a school on the US calendar (August - June). There are a few to choose from, mostly located in Panama City. Some of these give classes completely in English and tend to be more expensive.

The Panamanian school year is from March to December, so school ends with the arrival of the year end festivals and 'summer'. Private schools can cost as little as $150 per month and as much as $6000 per year, plus books and uniforms. The majority are also in Panama City or Colon, but some are in larger towns in outlying areas.