They denounce a possible setback in education in Peru due to controversial bills

Civil society organizations grouped in the Educational Forum and the Ombudsman’s Office in Peru have denounced in recent weeks the approval of regulations by the Peruvian government that would weaken efforts to promote better education for young people.

In May, the Congress of the Republic approved two bills related to education. The first consisted of restoring autonomy to public and private universities, while the second deals with the elimination of the gender approach and seeks to promote the mandatory intervention of parents in the production of school materials, which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. Education.

University education reform

In 2014, the new university law was approved that established the creation of a national superintendence, attached to the Ministry of Education, which would regulate university education.

After eight years, 93 Peruvian universities achieved licensing because they met a series of requirements such as having infrastructure, having professors with high academic credentials and promoting scientific research. 48 institutions had their application denied because they did not meet those points.

On May 4, legislators approved restoring autonomy to public and private universities, which has generated controversy and criticism.

“The university reform was carried out due to the pressure and citizen demands of young people. Not all the authorities were in favor, but in this time it has brought improvements, such as the budget increase. More than 1,000 million has been distributed by the State so that public universities can be licensed”, said the parliamentarian Flor Pablo to the voice of america.

Pablo, who was Minister of Education during the government of Martín Vizcarra (2018-2020) and defended the reform at the time, questions that “university authorities want to return to the time when there was academic ease, there were no controls or investigations, and students They were the worst affected.”

According to the Peruvian Constitution, the president has among his attributions to observe any law approved and derived by the Congress to the Executive. If he decides to do so, the initiative returns to the legislature for further deliberation before it is promulgated and made official in the official bulletin of laws that appears in the official gazette of the Peruvian State.

In this case, Castillo noted the law that restores autonomy to universities approved last May to be debated again in the Education Commission of Parliament.

On June 8, the members of this group decided that the initiative be promulgated and it remained in the hands of Congress to publish it as law. If this were to happen, the viability of the rule would be discussed in the Constitutional Court if lawsuits were filed. To date, this legislation has not been published as law in the official newspaper El Peruano.

Education with gender equality

In June 2016, the Government of Ollanta Humala approved the national basic education curriculum which, among the most outstanding aspects, included a gender approach. This arose from recommendations made by the UN Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

In February 2017, conservative groups appeared demanding the abolition of the curriculum and the cessation of its implementation. A constitutional popular action lawsuit was even filed with the Judiciary to eliminate the word “gender” because, according to them, there was a “gender ideology”. The appeal was rejected in 2019.

“It is a dramatic bill in several ways. From the focus on how it has been placed on the scene of the discussion that, under a premise, parents do not participate in educational processes despite the fact that the law of the gender approach does consider it”, said Susana Chávez, director of the NGO Promsex.

Chávez indicates that if parents are included, there is the possibility that teachers could be prosecuted for teaching the theme of the gender approach and that would lead to breaking any concept of educational policy.

He also said that the law intervenes in educational areas where moral criteria are included, the most controversial of which has to do with sexual education.

“What these organizations propose is that sex education should be taught at home and not at school,” he questioned.

Castillo decided not to observe the norm and, therefore, the Congress promulgated it so that it enters into force.

The Ombudsman’s Office, the Judiciary, the College of Teachers and even UNESCO have rejected the controversial proposal that seeks to eliminate the possibility of establishing equal rights for women and men.

According to the latest survey by the Institute of Peruvian Studies (IEP), 82% of Peruvians have expressed themselves in favor of comprehensive sexual education (ESI) being taught in schools.

For its part, the Peruvian Government presented a precautionary measure before the Judiciary so that Congress does not publish the norm on the university reform already promulgated. In addition, the Minister of Education, Rosendo Serna, reported that they did not observe the rule on gender identity to avoid problems with the parents’ associations.

“Regressive interests are being imposed in some key sectors such as education and access to public information. Both the Government and the Congress of the Republic have taken actions to limit the possibility for citizens to be informed freely about these transcendental issues for the country,” said Samuel Rotta, general secretary of the organization Proética, Peru chapter of Transparency. International, to voice of america.

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