COLUMN | The Street is Becoming the New School

So far this year, 48 children and young people have been murdered in a context of criminality, with many more at risk of being recruited by organized gangs.

More than 47,000 young people are out of the school system, and another 10,000 are enrolled to take free exams. We are talking about almost 60,000 children and adolescents who should be in the classroom but are not. These young people are not only not receiving a proper education, but they also see how day by day the opportunities to succeed and fulfill their dreams slip away.

Undoubtedly, a complex situation. One that becomes even more complicated when considering that 70% of young people who committed serious crimes had dropped out of school, and 60% of them did so before the age of 15.

The crime statistics regarding young people are even more concerning when factoring in the number of children and adolescents killed in shootings or homicides. So far this year, 48 children and young people have been murdered in a context of criminality, with many more at risk of being recruited by organized gangs. The age of the adult population incarcerated in prisons is also quite young, with the vast majority between 20 and 30 years old.

The criminal career is becoming increasingly shorter; the arrival of foreign gangs has created a need to recruit new members, and the lack of opportunities makes organized crime groups more attractive. They provide a sense of belonging, loyalty, trust, support, and a quick path to achieving everything they seek. Access to money and status is the most appealing aspect.

In this context, the lack of access to education becomes a catalyst for crime, and the data presented is proof that addressing complex criminality requires much more than law enforcement and security forces.

In terms of organized crime, a poor social or economic public policy can turn into an opportunity for illicit activity. Where there is an educational void that leaves the youngest on the streets, drug trafficking fills it, welcoming them and providing an alternative education; where there is unemployment, illegal enterprises offer informal opportunities; where public spaces are poorly maintained and unused, micro-trafficking finds an alternative use; or where there is a lack of housing, there is always someone who takes charge of the illicit housing business.

The dropout rates make us question, if they are not in the classroom, where are they? Many times the answer is, in the neighborhood drug gang.

Education is, by definition, the primary channel for preventing children and adolescents from falling into crime, but if the system has schools suspended for between 11 and 38 days, how much prevention can be achieved? Or, if children are left out of classrooms because there are no more spots in schools, how do we manage to prevent this?

The classroom is changing to the street, and traditional education is being replaced by a new offer that, far from providing tools for sustainable development, delivers skills for a short life with a bad ending. Getting children back into the classroom is essential, but even more important is having a 21st-century education program that the drug trade cannot compete with.