Original article: Crimen de escolar en San Bernardo: Profesores insisten que Gobierno debe poner recursos «en la línea de la salud mental»

Tragic Murder of Student in San Bernardo: Educators Urge Government to Invest in Mental Health Resources

The Chilean Teachers’ Association has reiterated its call for the José A. Kast administration to address the critical mental health issues prevalent in education, following the shocking news of the murder of a 15-year-old student outside his high school in San Bernardo.

Preliminary investigation findings suggest that the individuals responsible for the crime might be classmates of the victim.

In response, the president of the teachers’ union, Mario Aguilar, extended his condolences and support to the young man’s family while criticizing the government for its previous actions, stating, «They introduced their Protected Schools law, and we warned that it wouldn’t be sufficient as it only addressed one aspect: it was more of a sensational law than a real solution.»

«We are in shock over this news,» Aguilar expressed, adding, «This again emphasizes that the issue of violence in schools cannot be resolved solely through punitive measures. There is a serious mental health crisis and social issues that also need to be addressed. It cannot just be about punishments and sanctions,» he emphasized.

«A student was murdered, he was stabbed and died. This is just how terrible the situation is that we are discussing,» the leader underscored.

Similarly, Rosa María Montecinos, the secretary of the Metropolitan Regional Teachers’ Association, stated, «Today, the government and the Ministry of Education must allocate resources to develop public policies focused on mental health, implement prevention actions, and examine the underlying causes of violence.»

«We urge communities to raise awareness about this issue and to demand that the government and the ministry take concrete actions to create real prevention programs and support for communities affected by such incidents. We cannot continue to accept that violence takes over schools without any institutional response that can address the root causes of this school violence,» Montecinos asserted.

Listen to the full statements below:

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