Living in Peru : your everyday companion

(LIP-ir) -- Controversy was created among regional presidents after Peru's government passed a supreme decree establishing that teachers had to have completed institute or university studies and *have graduated in the top third of their class to work for public schools in the country.

Authorities that do not abide by the decree will be prosecuted for hiring and paying wages to teachers that do not meet Peru's quality standards, said Peru's minister of education, Jose Antonio Chang today.

Chang made these statements after it came to light that several of the country's regional authorities were not enforcing the new decree.

Several regional authorities said the new decree discriminated against many teachers because they had not completed an institute or the university or had not graduated in the top third of their class.

Teachers that work without having higher education as well as the authorities that hire them are breaking the law, affirmed Peru's minister of education.

He added that if it was discovered that these teachers - ones that had not graduated in the top third of the class - had been hired, their contracts would be terminated and they would not be considered for another job.

To improve the country's education system, old habits need to be broken said Minister Chang.

*This article was edited to more accurately present facts