President Nayib Bukele published a video on his X account, offering a detailed explanation of why discipline in schools is central to his government’s education reforms. The message followed new measures by the Ministry of Education requiring school directors to enforce stricter rules on uniforms, personal presentation, and respectful conduct among students.
In the video, which included a segment of his speech during the inauguration of the new San Miguelito Market, Bukele highlighted the importance of instilling discipline at a young age. “When you are young, discipline must be taught. If we had instilled discipline in our children, not only from parents but also through the state in public schools, we would not have so many adults in prison, nor hundreds of thousands of deaths or disappearances caused by past conflicts and gangs,” he said.
The president criticized those who oppose the reforms, arguing that they confuse discipline with militarization. “What harm do people think comes from obliging children to say ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ or ‘good morning’? If you truly love your children, you must apply discipline so they don’t suffer in the future,” he noted. Bukele contrasted this with past events, recalling how armed groups recruited children during the civil war. “The opposition says we are militarizing, but giving a child a weapon at eight years old and sending them to kill was considered development back then. We already tried that recipe, and it didn’t work,” he added.
Bukele also warned of the risk of new gangs forming in schools, pointing to reports of a group called Mara La Raza that mirrors the violent structures of the 1990s. “If we solved the security problem, the least we can do is plant seeds so that it does not return. We cannot allow to imprison another 80,000 Salvadorans in the next decade,” he said.
Acknowledging the challenge of enforcing discipline even in his own household, Bukele reflected on the role of parents: “I have daughters. Sometimes it is difficult to apply discipline because one loves them so much you don’t even want to scold them. But if you really love your children, you must put discipline in place. Otherwise, they will suffer later on.”
With these statements, Bukele tied the government’s education reforms to his broader security strategy, presenting discipline in schools not only as a matter of order but as a long-term guarantee of peace and stability in El Salvador.