Salvadoran Schools Enforce Dress Code After Military Captain Appointed Education Minister

Schools are required to ensure strict compliance with the guidelines, according to the directive.

Staff check students uniforms at Instituto Nacional Tecnico Industrial, as regulations over students' appearance and behavior are enforced following a memorandum by the Ministry of Education, in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Aug. 21, 2025. Jose Cabezas/Reuters

A memo from El Salvador’s new education minister, Karla Trigueros, took effect on Aug. 20, requiring principals to check students’ appearance at school gates to enhance discipline.

Trigueros, a captain in the army, issued the memo just days after being sworn in as education minister on Aug. 15.