Overview

• Principals now greet students at school gates and inspect uniforms and “appropriate” haircuts, with failure by school leaders deemed a serious administrative breach.
• Education Minister Karla Trigueros, an army captain, issued the order this week after taking office and publicized it as part of a broader push on discipline.
• Parents quoted on the ground voiced support for stricter rules, while teachers’ unions split between backing discipline and objecting to placing enforcement on principals.
• Human-rights advocates warn the requirements could strain low-income families that cannot afford barbers or lack utilities for ironing.
• A separate directive begins Civic Mondays on Sept. 1, requiring flag ceremonies, the anthem and a student presentation, with a $300 stipend per school for supplies.