The Cabinet Board, headed by the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, today passed a bill 24-24, which attests the high educational and technical institutes of Fine Arts and Folklore to the Ministry of Culture, previously under the supervision of the Ministry of Education.

The transfer of these educational centers and advanced technical institutes of Fine Arts and Folklore includes transferring their respective budgets, goods and infrastructure to the Ministry of Culture, as required by the bill.

The Ministry of Culture will facilitate and assist the Ministry of Education with the necessary adjustments and with these educational establishments and higher institutes to be integrated into the modalities of the Panamanian educational system.

The bill also lays down that the academic degrees awarded by these educational establishments shall be guaranteed by the Ministry of Education and, in the case of advanced technical institutes, shall be monitored by the University of Panama.

The educational and administrative personnel of these centres and institutes will also become members of the Ministry of Culture.

A temporary commission will be established and will consist of officials from the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, a teacher's representative and an administrative representative with a view to coordinating the transition.