The Chilean government is advancing a bill in the Senate to improve school coexistence amid a record rise in complaints about violence in schools. While the initiative aims to set a new standard, it faces criticism for lacking resources and teacher support. Experts debate its potential to strengthen educational democracy.
The bill on school coexistence, good treatment, and well-being in educational communities is currently being processed in the Chilean Senate. According to the Superintendencia de Educación, between January and September of this year, 11,091 complaints about coexistence issues were recorded, a record number that has doubled over the past decade and accounts for 70% of total complaints received. Only 36% of the public considers schools safe spaces, while one-third of teachers experience emotional burnout and 20% leave the profession in their first five years.
The Ministry of Education (Mineduc) proposes a 'new standard' for coexistence, focused on promotion, prevention, and intersectorial attention, including strengthening psychosocial teams and making School Councils mandatory to democratize governance. However, Daniel Rodríguez, executive director of Acción Educar, criticizes the project as 'an empty promise,' arguing it lacks funding to hire professionals like psychologists and therapists, overburdening already underfunded and bureaucratized teachers. He notes that the government prioritizes inefficient interministerial committees over reinforcing directors' autonomy, and that resources go to gratuity instead of concrete solutions.
On the other hand, Carmen Gloria Zúñiga, an academic at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, sees the project as a crucial opportunity to address the crisis, though it requires adjustments in funding, especially in vulnerable areas. She highlights the need to integrate socioemotional education into the curriculum, recognizing that 56% of school violence originates from the home, and that schools must be protective spaces for learning to coexist. She calls for measures to support teacher well-being, such as reducing administrative loads, and overcoming the dichotomy between academic quality and coexistence.
Senators on the Education Commission have attempted improvements, but consensus suggests that without sufficient resources, the project may not have a structural impact. Its approval, with amendments, could mark progress in Chile's educational transformation.