The Ministry of Agricultural Development and Irrigation, led by Felipe César Meza Millán, inaugurated a modernized educational facility at School No. 40158 El Gran Amauta in the Miraflores district of Arequipa on March 16. The event marked the official start of the 2026 school year for more than 6.2 million students across Peru.
The new infrastructure, built by the Regional Government of Arequipa, will allow up to 735 students to study in safe and well-equipped environments. During his remarks, Meza Millán said, “For this process, the Government has allocated more than 295 million soles for the maintenance of more than 53 thousand schools nationwide. In addition, almost 14 million units of educational material are being distributed throughout the country. In the Arequipa region, more than 375 thousand educational materials have been delivered to benefit more than 210 thousand students, while here at El Gran Amauta School, more than 500 students are starting classes in better conditions thanks to a modern infrastructure that will include laboratories, a library, computer rooms and suitable spaces for learning.”
The ceremony was held simultaneously in all 24 regions of Peru as part of a coordinated return to classrooms in over 53,000 public schools. Meza Millán joined teachers, parents and students during this symbolic beginning to a new academic year.
As part of the event’s protocol activities, Meza Millán participated in ringing the bell to officially open classes and led both the unveiling of a commemorative plaque and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the school’s renovated facilities.
The renovation required an investment of S/35,784,902.48 from the Regional Government of Arequipa. The upgraded campus now features science laboratories, computer rooms, a library, art workshops, kitchen and dining areas, sports facilities and accessible spaces designed with inclusion in mind.
Meza Millán said: “We know that educating our children is fundamental for national development. That is why we continue working from government to provide better conditions so they can study in suitable spaces with necessary tools.” Currently there are 550 enrolled students and 43 teachers across preschool through secondary levels at El Gran Amauta School. The institution also received nearly fifteen hundred units of educational materials including communication and mathematics textbooks.
During his visit Meza Millán toured the new facilities and took part in distributing nutritious lunchboxes containing dairy products—a program promoted by Agromercado aimed at encouraging milk consumption among students while supporting local livestock producers.
With these actions MIDAGRI reaffirms its commitment to initiatives that support student welfare and strengthen Peru’s agricultural sector.
