Former education ministers Nicolás Cataldo and Raúl Figueroa analyzed the Escuelas Protegidas project, recently approved by the Senate and now in its third stage.
In a conversation with La Tercera's Desde La Redacción program, both former officials agreed on the need to address school violence, but warned of possible frustrations if excessive expectations are created.
Cataldo noted that international evidence on backpack searches is inconclusive and may generate feelings of criminalization. Figueroa added that this measure was already covered in the School Coexistence law.
Regarding the loss of free tuition for five years for those convicted of violence, Figueroa supported the measure as a clear signal of consequences. Cataldo expressed doubts about its effectiveness in changing behaviors, citing the Aula Segura case.
The former ministers also discussed the existence of state policies in education and the tendency to politicize the system.
