Peru's President Announces Strict School Dress Code Banning Long Hair, Makeup

Peru's President Keiko Fujimori announced new school discipline rules on October 12 banning long hair for boys and makeup, nail polish, and accessories for girls in public schools affecting 6.7 million students. The measures also restrict cellphone use, reinstate conduct grades, and permit expulsion for serious infractions. Feminist and human rights organizations criticized the policy as ineffective at addressing school violence and authoritarian, while the government defended it as necessary to restore order.

Quick Facts

Announced new school discipline code prohibiting long hair for boys
Prohibited makeup, nail polish, jewelry, dyed hair, tattoos for girls
Restricted cellphone use during classes without teacher authorization
Reintroduced conduct grades (abolished in 2019)
Reinstated expulsion for serious infractions including violence, bullying, sexual harassment, drug use

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Peru's President Keiko Fujimori announced new school discipline rules on October 12, banning long hair for boys and makeup, nail polish, and jewelry for girls in public schools, while also restricting cellphone use during classes. The measures, which apply to approximately 6.7 million students across Peru's public education system, also include the reintroduction of conduct grades (abolished in 2019) and the reinstatement of expulsion for serious infractions such as physical violence, bullying, sexual harassment, and drug use.

Education Minister José Antonio Chang detailed additional appearance restrictions, including prohibitions on dyed hair, earrings, piercings, rings, bracelets, tattoos, and skirts above the knee. Fujimori framed the rules as essential to restoring order in schools, stating: "Order should not exist only in the streets. It also needs to return to our schools and classrooms." The government opened a 15-day public consultation period before finalizing the policy, after which it is expected to be published in the official gazette and enter into force by year's end. Private schools retain autonomy to set their own standards.

The announcement follows a wave of public concern triggered by a reported sexual assault on a 16-year-old student aboard a school bus in September, as well as reported cases of bullying and violence in Peruvian schools. According to the Education Ministry, approximately 12,000 cases of school violence were registered over the previous eight months. The government presented the dress code and conduct rules as a response to these incidents.

However, the measures have drawn sharp criticism from feminist and human rights organizations. The Manuela Ramos Movement and the Flora Tristán Peruvian Women's Center stated that "controlling appearance such as hairstyles or makeup does not prevent sexual assault or other forms of school violence." The National Human Rights Coordinator denounced the restrictions as "populist and authoritarian." Opposition senator Ruth Luque questioned whether education should be measured by hair length, makeup, and nail polish, and called for more serious investment in education and comprehensive violence prevention policies rather than appearance-based rules.

Fujimori's approach echoes policies adopted by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, whom she has cited as an inspiration for her security agenda. Bukele implemented similar school appearance rules, including prohibitions on specific haircuts such as mohawks. Fujimori has a scheduled visit to El Salvador at the end of October.

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Politics Education World

#dress code policy #dress code ban #school safety #Peru school discipline #school appearance codes #student conduct #El Salvador comparison #Peru #expulsion policy #appearance restrictions

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Why This Matters

The policy directly affects 6.7 million students in Peru's public school system and introduces measurable enforcement mechanisms (reintroduced conduct grades, expulsion authority). Implementation is scheduled for year-end following a 15-day consultation period. The announcement follows reported incidents including a September sexual assault and approximately 12,000 registered school violence cases over eight months, framing the dress code as a violence-prevention measure. Private schools are exempt. Outcomes depend on enforcement consistency and whether dress restrictions correlate with reported incident rates in coming months.

Timeline & Sources

Jan 1, 2019

Wire

Peru abolishes conduct grades in schools

Jan 1, 2019

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Peru abolished conduct grades in schools

Oct 12, 2026

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President Fujimori announces new school disciplinary code during visit to school in Chaclacayo near Lima

Oct 31, 2026

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Planned visit by Fujimori to El Salvador to meet with President Bukele

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