Panama City, 26 August 2025 - The Commission of Education, Culture and Sport first adopted Bill 104, which lays down general criteria for the creation of an Academic Planning and Flexibility Programme for high performance sports, cultural and artistic students.

That legislative initiative aims at enabling basic, secondary and university level students to have a balance between academic burden and sports responsibilities and aims at balancing the performance of the academic level and the sports discipline they conduct throughout the year.

It also lays down, through its regulations, rights and duties for high-level sportsman and artist with a view to setting the necessary parameters to achieve that balance between academy and sport.

Congressman Lilia Batista de Guerra, a proponent of the bill, expressed: "I have been the voice of the youth who have been trying to get into music halls, dance and sports and have been dreaming about giving up the name of Panama. Nevertheless, many have to choose from continuing their regular studies or dedicated to their high performance training.

That law is a concrete response to that reality that we have been listening to in the testimony of athletes, musicians and artists who need not only applause but also an actual accompaniment and an integral support, Batista added.

Beatriz Castañet, Director of Legal Advice at the Ministry of Culture, remarked: "I feel excited to support this noble and commendable project, which recognizes a human right of many youth. It's not just about following a sports race but about understanding that it's a difficult time in the lives of the students, while teens have to face the challenge of responding to the regular educational system and at the same time to high performance challenges."

The bill has been supported by Pansports, Meduca and MiCultura.