Minister of Education pledges to make progress on key issues in higher education

29/03/2012
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The top official of the ministry confirmed that progress will be made on pending issues such as the Superintendency of Higher Education, quality assurance, the end of profit-making, and the State Universities Law.

The Ministry of Education will deliver a proposal within 60 days on how to improve the reference fee system.

At the monthly plenary session of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), the highest university authorities held their first meeting of the year with the Minister of Education, Harald Beyer. During the meeting, they analyzed the priorities for higher education in 2012 and the role that the various stakeholders will play in promoting a reform that addresses key issues.

“We need to move forward with the Superintendency project and the State-Guaranteed Student Loan. We are also available to work on the State Universities Law and a new definition of the reference tuition fee,” stated Minister Harald Beyer.

In this regard, Rector Juan Manuel Zolezzi, Executive Vice President of CRUCH, highlighted the expanded agenda. “The Minister confirmed that we will work to advance projects that we have promoted and championed as the Council of Rectors. This includes the State Universities Law, the Superintendency of Higher Education, and improving the current system of reference tuition fees,“ he stated.

Regarding this last point, Minister Beyer pledged to deliver within 60 days a proposal on how to improve the current system that regulates and sets reference fees. “We believe it is crucial to move forward in improving the current system, because the reference fee sets the scholarship amounts, and sometimes it is far from the actual fee, that is, the costs incurred by our universities to provide a quality education,” Rector Zolezzi emphasized.

Likewise, the rectors emphasized that beyond the projects being promoted, it is necessary to work on and define a Higher Education policy that encompasses and gives direction to all projects promoted from now on. “It is key that all actors in education, the rectors, academic and university communities, and experts, work together and debate what Higher Education policy we want to have,” concluded Rector Zolezzi.