Peru Education Minister announces new school violence and infrastructure measures

Peruvian Education Minister José Antonio Chang has announced a series of measures to address school violence and improve educational infrastructure. In response to recent incidents at the Liceo Naval Almirante Guise, the Ministry of Education (Minedu) is developing new disciplinary regulations that would allow school authorities to implement graduated sanctions. This includes the possibility of physically separating violent students from their classrooms; however, the Minister emphasized that these students would not lose their right to education and could continue through alternative basic education (EBA) or remote learning.

Additionally, Minedu plans to regulate the use of mobile phones and social media in schools, following models used in the European Union, to limit early exposure to screens.

Regarding infrastructure, Chang stated that the government is committed to President Keiko Fujimori’s goal of building or rehabilitating 500 schools annually. To support this, the Ministry will accelerate legal actions to recover state-owned lands currently occupied by unauthorized third parties, which are needed for new educational projects. The Minister also highlighted the need to prioritize schools in precarious conditions, such as the José Olaya initial school, which has been declared uninhabitable.