Peru Declares School Infrastructure Emergency With 31,000 Schools at Risk of Collapse
Peru declared its public school infrastructure in emergency on 27 August 2026. Around 31,000 schools risk collapse; the repair gap is 170 billion soles (US$50.7 billion). The post Peru Declares School Infrastructure Emergency With 31,000 Schools at Risk of Collapse appeared first on The Rio Times .
Peru has declared an emergency in its public school infrastructure, with 31,000 schools at risk of collapse. President Keiko Fujimori signed the decree, Supreme Decree 013-2026-MINEDU, on 26 August, ordering a full rebuild of the country's classroom system. The Education Ministry now has 30 days to draft rules for a national school-infrastructure system, which will separate policy and planning from execution, technical supervision and oversight.
Over 55% of Peru's public schools would be in danger in a strong earthquake or severe El Niño, and 26-27% of at-risk schools are already in critical condition. Many rural buildings predate Peru's modern seismic code, with Cajamarca, Cusco, and Lima housing the most vulnerable schools. The repair gap is estimated at 170 billion soles (US$50.7 billion), but the decree does not provide any funding, relying on the ministry's existing budget.
The emergency decree aims to accelerate construction and maintenance procedures, but its success depends on new rules that have yet to be established.
Written by urgent.news from The Rio Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
