El Salvador is cracking down on school discipline. President Nayib Bukele has appointed a former army captain, Karla Trigueros, as education minister. She has started inspecting schools wearing army fatigues. Ms Trigueros is also a physician and was head of the country's vaccination logistics during the coronavirus pandemic. One of her first edicts was to require all school principals to become role models. School heads will be required to greet students as they come through the school gates each morning. They will also scrutinize pupils' haircuts and uniforms. Trigueros warned schools that: "Failure to comply with these provisions…will be considered a serious breach of administrative responsibility."

The main focus of El Salvador's new education initiative is on appearance and conduct. In particular, boys are required to have closely-cropped, military-style haircuts, while all students must wear tidy uniforms and greet all teachers respectfully. There has been mixed reaction to the new policy. A leading teachers' union called it a "regrettable militarization" of schools. It was concerned that the country was veering back to the days of military dictatorship. It said: "We are concerned that the already [endemic] abuses of power against students will increase." However, many parents are supportive of the new rules. One said: "That's how you straighten children out from a young age."