In a country where dishonesty, violence, corruption or disrespect for the rules seem to have become normal, it is not surprising that a speech that promises to recover discipline and authority in the schools find so much echo. There is a legitimate concern about the loss of values and citizen references. But there is a question that we cannot avoid: how do we intend to train honest, respectful and responsible students if adults are not always able to set an example?
Recent government announcements on school discipline have reopened a necessary debate. The conduct note, sanctions for serious misconduct and personal appearance standards have focused public attention. However, we run the risk of reducing a fundamental discussion for education to a set of disciplinary measures.
Discipline is essential to learn. A school where rules are not respected, where teachers lack authority or where violence is normalized can hardly fulfill its mission. Students need clear limits, references and consequences for their actions. But they also need to understand the meaning of the rules and learn to live with others.
Recovering authority does not mean returning to authoritarianism. It means supporting teachers and principals, strengthening their capacity to lead schools and ensuring safe environments. The conduct note can contribute if it responds to objective criteria and has a training purpose. In situations of serious violence, measures must be firm, protect victims and guarantee fair procedures. The expulsion must be exceptional and cannot mean the interruption of the educational path.
We cannot leave families out either. We often demand that teachers train in respect and responsibility, while some parents disavow their decisions or justify unacceptable behavior. The school cannot educate alone. Values are learned, above all, through example and consistency between what we say and do.
But there is a question that should take center stage: is this the most urgent discussion that Peruvian education needs?
Our system faces structural challenges that require sustained decisions. We need to recover fundamental learning, particularly in reading, mathematics and science, and develop critical thinking. We must strengthen teacher training, revalue meritocracy and modernize the teaching career to recognize new responsibilities and functions.
It is equally urgent to transform governance, deepen decentralization and grant greater autonomy to school directors, with clear responsibilities. We must strengthen socio-emotional well-being, prevent violence and close the gaps that especially affect rural and vulnerable students, guaranteeing decent conditions for learning.
*El Comercio opens its pages to the exchange of ideas and reflections. In this plural framework, the Diario does not necessarily agree with the opinions of the columnists who sign them, although it always respects them.
