Overview
- The Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) announced the order Thursday that no preschool, primary or secondary school may operate under the labels “militarizada,” “militar” or “castrense,” and it requires affected schools to close by August 31.
- The measure was framed as a response to a string of fatal incidents, most recently the mid‑July death of 13‑year‑old Dafne Zapata, and judicial authorities in Tamaulipas have linked three people to the criminal process in her case.
- More than 60 basic‑education centers that used military‑style models were identified for definitive closure and must immediately deliver students’ academic records and refund payments for services not provided.
- Some state and upper‑secondary institutions that use a military‑style model say they consider themselves outside the SEP order because it targets basic education, creating legal uncertainty over enforcement and where displaced students will enroll.
- The closures expose long‑standing gaps in oversight of RVOE‑authorized academies, have prompted dozens of former students to report abuse, and could lead to administrative sanctions and further investigations into private and public programs.