When “Cultural Immersion” Becomes Educational Neglect; Panamanian Government Expropriates Isla Margarita; Panama and Paraguay Strengthen Economic and Logistics Partnership.

Friday, October 24, 2025. When “Cultural Immersion” Becomes Educational Neglect: A Word of Caution About Public Schools Abroad Dear Expats with kids to Panama: It’s easy to romanticize the idea of sending your children to a foreign public school to “toughen them up” or to “let them learn Spanish and local culture.” The thought carries an appealing simplicity because as we know children adapt quickly, they’ll learn the language, and they’ll see the world from another perspective. But let’s be clear: immersion is not education. And using the Panamanian public-school system (or most foreign public systems, for that matter) as a substitute for a structured, accredited education can have serious long-term consequences. The Reality of Panama’s Public Schools Panama’s public education system faces the same challenges seen across much of Latin America: underfunded facilities, large class sizes, inconsistent academic standards, and occasional teacher strikes that disrupt the school year. Some schools do an admirable job with limited resources, but overall, the system was never designed to accommodate or educate foreign students temporarily visiting the country. For expat families who place their children in a public school “just to learn Spanish,” the outcome is often a net loss in academics. A few months without math, science, or structured reading programs might not sound alarming, until those gaps begin to compound. Children returning to their home country frequently struggle to reintegrate academically, having lost ground in key areas that affect college readiness and long-term development. What It’s Not Meant To Be Public schools in Panama aren’t language-immersion camps or cultural boot camps. They are community institutions built to serve local populations, many of whom face their own educational hurdles. Expecting these schools to “toughen up” foreign children or to simply offer a window into Latin culture is unrealistic and arguably irresponsible. At worst, it can border on educational neglect, especially if parents intentionally forgo core subjects in favor of a cultural experience. A Smarter Way: Short-Term Cultural Exchange That said, the value of immersion is real when approached thoughtfully. If parents want their children to experience Panamanian culture and language, there’s a balanced way to do it: Balance Is the Key Your child’s education is the foundation for their future. Language and culture are powerful additions, but not at the expense of science, mathematics, or critical thinking. The best educational experiences, whether in the U.S., Panama, or anywhere else, are those that balance academics, culture, and safety. If you truly want your children to grow resilient and worldly, make sure you’re not trading their future learning potential for a misguided notion of “toughness.” A balanced education will always serve them better than a misplaced experiment in cultural exposure. Brett Mikkelson Director, B.M. Investigations, Inc. – Private Investigation in Panama TOP NEWS and TIDBITS: Panamanian Government Decrees Expropriation of Isla Margarita for Atlantic Logistics Projects The Executive Branch published in Official Gazette No. 30390-C the decree declaring the expropriation of lands on Isla Margarita, in Colón Province, with the purpose of allocating them for new logistics and port developments of public interest. The document states that the measure applies to the properties registered under Desarrollo Inmobiliario Margarita, S.A., linked to a project that years ago had been concessioned to Panama Colón Container Port, S.A. for the construction of a port on the Atlantic coast. According to the Gazette, the concessionaire company did not carry out the works nor comply with the technical and financial conditions established, which led to the declaration of the contract’s expiration. The decree indicates that, despite the revocation, the area continued to have occupations and possession claims that prevented the State from fully disposing of the land. For this reason, it was decided to declare its expropriation for reasons of public utility and national security. The Ministry of Economy and Finance was designated as the entity responsible for executing the process and determining the corresponding compensation, based on the commercial value of the property as determined by the Directorate of Cadastre and State Assets. Direct negotiation with the owners is also authorized before resorting to judicial proceedings, ensuring that the expropriation does not proceed without the guarantee of fair and prior payment. The decree concludes that the expropriated lands will be allocated to logistics and port projects within the strategy to expand the Atlantic logistics corridor, in coordination with the Panama Maritime Authority and other competent entities. READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE Questionnaire to Prevent Lawyers and Accountants from Being Used in Illegal Schemes The Superintendency of Non-Financial Subjects (SSNF) has invited all lawyers and accountants engaged in activities covered under Law 124 to complete a questionnaire that the institution will send. This questionnaire is intended to help these professionals avoid being used in illegal schemes. “Neither the SSNF nor Law 124 regulates the profession of accountant or lawyer, but it does regulate certain activities they perform on behalf of third parties that could be used in money laundering, terrorist financing, or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction schemes,” said Gustavo Gordón, Deputy Director of the SSNF, on Reporte Estelar, Julio Miller’s program on Kw Continente. Among the activities are advising on real estate purchases and sales, managing money and securities or bank savings or investment accounts, organizing contributions for the creation of companies, creating these companies, buying and selling legal structures, providing registered addresses, acting or arranging for someone to act within a trust, and activities as a resident agent. Gordón explained that the form lawyers and accountants must fill out is designed to assess “our risks in money laundering and terrorist financing matters.” “The self-assessment questionnaire is so that the subject understands the risks their professional practice might face due to lack of control measures and to avoid being used in money laundering or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction schemes,” he added. He assured that the questionnaire is a self-assessment tool in which these professionals will understand what tools they do or do not have within their internal procedures to prevent being used in such schemes. “The aim is to determine