The Chamber of Deputies' Education Committee approved the Executive's Protected Schools bill on Thursday and sent it to the floor after a tense debate lasting over six hours. Education Minister María Paz Arzola thanked lawmakers for the progress, emphasizing its urgency to combat school violence. Opponents filed constitutionality reservations and criticized the burden on educators.
The Chamber of Deputies' Education Committee met for over six hours on Thursday to discuss the Protected Schools bill in detail, which includes measures such as student backpack searches to prevent assaults and loss of free tuition for those convicted of school-related crimes.
The debate was tense, with impasses on Article 1 regarding backpack checks. Deputy Valentina Becerra (Republicano) moved to close discussion, approved 8-2 with 2 abstentions. Deputies Daniela Serrano (PC) and Emilia Schneider (FA) filed constitutionality reservations, citing violations of rights like privacy and non-discrimination.
"The minister has not even addressed us in this session," Schneider criticized, questioning the lack of dialogue and technical basis. Commission President Sergio Bobadilla (UDI) rejected six amendments for contradicting the Executive's text, without detailed explanations.
After approval, Arzola thanked: "This has been teamwork and we must keep advancing." She highlighted approved amendments to send a "clear signal" against violence. Bobadilla called it "a clear and strong signal" to reclaim educational spaces, while opponents like Serrano said it fails to address root issues and burdens teachers.
Government supporters like María Paz Charpentier (Republicano) and Sara Concha (PSC) backed the bill as urgent for classroom safety, expecting cross-party support in the full chamber next week.
