Mexico City, Mexico – Mexico's government on Monday backtracked on a plan to shorten its school year ahead of the World Cup after facing widespread backlash from parents and local authorities.

On Friday, Education Secretary Mario Delgado unexpectedly announced the school year would end about 40 days early, on June 5, because of an expected heatwave and the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

Education officials and others within President Claudia Sheinbaum's government met on Monday to gather input from parents and consider options. Sheinbaum herself expressed skepticism of the proposal.

At the meeting, it was agreed to keep the school calendar as originally planned and have it end July 15, with classes resuming August 31, the Education Department announced.

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The World Cup tournament will be hosted jointly by Mexico, the US, and Canada, and kicks off on June 11 when Mexico takes on South Africa at home in Mexico City.

"The idea is to keep the vacation period to six weeks, as it has always been, and perhaps some students will start early, while others will continue with the previous schedule," Sheinbaum said in a statement.

"The goal is for it to be a consensus decision," she said. "We need to listen."

Two states rejected the plan before it was ultimately canceled. Parents also questioned the measure, which, according to the think tank Mexico Evalua, would have caused students to fall behind in their studies.

"The decision… will reduce effective learning time even more for 23.4 million students," Mexico Evalua wrote in a report.

Sheinbaum also guaranteed "conditions of security" necessary for the games as well as the completion of public works projects started before the tournament, particularly additions to the Azteca stadium and the Mexico City International Airport.