Venezuela Launches 2025 School Year with Enrollment Surge & Renovated Facilities (+Photos)

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, visited the Urbaneja Achelpohl school in Caracas to mark the beginning of the school year in Venezuela. Significant renovations are underway at the school, which is attended by 1,158 students, including 55 in early childhood education, 298 in primary education, and 805 in general secondary education.

The head of state toured the facilities of this institution located in the San Pedro parish of Caracas, from the preschool to the secondary education facilities, and praised the renovation of the classrooms, computer labs, hallways, and recreation area.

Accompanied by the First Lady Cilia Flores, the Minister of Education Héctor Rodríguez, the Minister of Youth Sergio Lotortaro, the Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Ñáñez, and the President of the Great Venezuela Youth Mission Génesis Garvett, the president emphasized that “we are providing a larger space as a bonus.” Starting in the 2025-26 school year, this new space will host the Simón Bolívar Orchestra. Additional renovations include bigger classrooms and a baseball field.

“The key to the future is values, education, culture—forging principles, intelligence, and skills in children and young people so that they become the best-prepared generation” said the head of state.

Education Minister Rodríguez reported that the 2025-2026 school year begins with more than six million students, representing nearly 400,000 more than last year.

Rodríguez highlighted the work carried out by student organizations, community organizations, and communes, who went door-to-door “and managed to identify 110,000 more school-aged children and young people who were not enrolled in school.”

“Many of these people are returning from migration; they were mistreated abroad [and] denied places in schools, and they have returned to their country, to their homeland. Here, we welcome them with open arms, full of love, and we guarantee public education as a right,” emphasized the Venezuelan minister of education.

In the review, President Maduro inspected the work on the cafeteria; the biology, chemistry, physics, telematics and robotics laboratories; the baseball and basketball courts; the amphitheater; the Bolivarian Center for Information Technology and Telematics; the school ombudsman’s offices; and a center for developing quality education.

President Nicolás Maduro emphasized the need for schools to have “powerful student movements of awareness and work” such as the Bolivarian Student Organization (OBE) and the Venezuelan Federation of Secondary Education Students (FEVE). He also highlighted the importance of an active movement of parents and cooks, as well as a powerful movement of teachers, who, with clear pedagogical ideas, promote core values.

President Maduro: 400,000 Children Have Returned to Venezuela with Access to Education

Photo gallery
These are photographs provided by the Ultimas Noticias media outlet covering the back-to-school events in several states of Venezuela on Monday, September 15, 2025.