The Minister of Education announced that schools in Puno will start the school year on March 20

He Minister of Education, Oscar Becerraannounced that the 2023 school year in the Puno region will start against all odds on March 20 present, so that students fulfill the role of their teaching hours and are not affected in their learning.

In this sense, the owner of the Minedu pointed out that it is necessary to take measures, because it is expected that there will be no setbacks and that the quality of education in schools can thus be improved. Regarding the protests that have taken place in this city, he said that security is sustained for both students and teachers.

Becerra also welcomed the participation of the Puno Regional Governmentwho is also interested in education in this southern part of Peru and was pleased to have been able to dialogue and agree that education is the priority in the face of protests in the region.

In this context, the academy stressed that any teacher who deviates from his duties to participate in the demonstrations will be sanctioned drastically, with lessons for students taking priority over all measures.

Furthermore, he indicated that the decision had been communicated by the Regional Directorate of Education (DRE) of Puno before the resurgence of protests in the region.

“Puno will start classes on March 20 (…) because they have defined that is the best date to guarantee the 39 weeks of school,” Becerra said.

The Minister welcomed this commitment by the Puno regional government to guarantee the early start of classes, despite the demonstrations that have resumed since March 1.

“Finally, there is something we agree on. The open invitation of the Constitutional President (Dina Boluarte) to dialogue finally finds an echo. I am happy that the regional government agrees with us”, did he declare.

Faced with a probable teachers’ strike, the education Minister assured that the measure will be declared illegal and that teachers who comply with it will be penalized.

“There is no legal reason for them to call a strike. Therefore, anything they do will be illegal and will obviously be punished,” he said.

Óscar Becerra explained that nearly 300,000 masterswhich covered approximately 98% of teaching positions.

In line with continuing to improve the quality for the student, the head of Minedu indicated that his sector has considered replacing schools at risk of collapse with prefabricated classrooms, as well as improving the standard of student reading comprehension.

“There are 1,041 schools in imminent danger of collapse which are going to be replaced by temporary infrastructures, that is to say prefabricated schools which do not even require legal physical sanitation. It’s a goal,” he said.

Becerra has announced that a nationwide reading comprehension competition will be held and will award a prize of S/100,000 to each child in a team of 3-5 who wins in the grades 3-5 category.