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The Minister of Education, Nicolás Cataldo, stated that “it is very important to receive the recommendations of the CRUCH Regarding Initial and Continuing Teacher Training.” He added that “this is precisely what we expect from universities that have shaped the history of development and education in our country.”.
The report, prepared by a commission of experts from CRUCH universities, offers 24 recommendations and constitutes a milestone in the commemoration of CRUCH's 70th anniversary.
During the session of the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH) on Thursday, March 21, the plenary formally delivered to the Minister of Education, Nicolás Cataldo, the report “Teaching Changes Lives. CRUCH proposals for strengthening Initial and Continuous Teacher Training in universities and the education system”.
The Minister valued the document and stated that for his ministry “it is very important to receive the recommendations of the CRUCH Regarding the initial and ongoing training of teachers,” and added that “that is precisely what we expect from universities that have shaped the history of development and education in our country.”.
The executive vice president of CRUCH, Rector Emilio Rodríguez, pointed out that the report offers 24 recommendations to contribute to public policy processes on issues related to the attraction, training and retention of teachers, as well as highlighting the importance of the teaching profession at the national level. View report here
During the session held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (UC), Rodríguez added that the document was prepared by the Pedagogy Strengthening Commission over a year and highlighted that this milestone is part of the “CRUCH 70 Years Agenda”, which includes various commemoration initiatives during 2024.
For his part, Cataldo pointed out that the CRUCH report is very timely, especially in the current scenario, in which the education system is challenged by the effects of the pandemic and migration, among other aspects, which demand "new capabilities in those who are currently teaching.".
In this regard, she stated that a curricular transformation is being prioritized, one that requires “examining pedagogy, the way we approach teaching and learning processes, and viewing the school not only as a space of care, but also as a space that offers a meaningful and valuable educational experience for those who are part of the educational communities.” In her view, “all these elements must be part of initial teacher training and the training of future teachers.”.
Presentation of the report
In the afternoon, also at UC facilities, the report was presented at an event attended by important authorities and specialists in the field of education, including Senator Yasna Provoste; the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana; the Superintendent of Education, Mauricio Farías; the Superintendent of Higher Education, José Miguel Salazar; the President of the National Accreditation Commission, Andrés Bernasconi; the Executive Secretary of the Education Quality Agency, Gino Cortéz; along with authorities from UNESCO in Chile; and the United Nations Development Programme. (UNDP); the Center for Improvement, Experimentation and Pedagogical Research (CPEIP); and the DEMRE of the University of Chile.
On this occasion, the Rector of the Catholic University, Ignacio Sánchez, welcomed attendees and highlighted the document's importance. “Concern for pedagogy is central to strengthening the country's education system. And this report, presented today, offers a renewed roadmap of initiatives and measures to strengthen the teaching profession,” he stated.
Then, Elisa Araya, rector of the Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences (UMCE), who led the commission, stated that “as CRUCH, we understand that education is the master key to sustainable development.” She added that any solution for the teaching profession must be developed with and for the teachers in the classrooms, “from whom we have much to learn.”.
For his part, Nelson Vázquez, rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV) and president of the commission, emphasized the importance of addressing Chile's educational challenges. “We cannot advance in development without improving the quality of teacher training and performance (…) These recommendations have an optimistic outlook: that it is possible to change people's lives through education,” he commented.
During the presentation, the executive vice president of CRUCH, Emilio Rodríguez, gave a copy of the report to the undersecretary of Higher Education, Víctor Orellana, who thanked them for the document and valued that “the Council of Rectors and all those who participated in this project, reflect and fulfill the role that we expect from universities, which is to make themselves available to the challenges of the country.
A panel of experts from the CRUCH Pedagogy Strengthening Commission was also held, featuring Diana Veneros, Director General of Teaching at the Metropolitan Technological University from 2019 to May 2023; Patricia Castillo, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the Catholic University of the North; Fancy Castro, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Bío Bío; and Iván Salinas, professor at the University of Chile. The panel was moderated by Carmen Montecinos, Executive Secretary of the Commission, Executive Director of the Center for Educational Leaders, and professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (PUCV).
Commission on Pedagogies
In September 2022, the Council adopted the agreement to constitute a commission of experts to make a diagnosis and proposals for the strengthening of pedagogies, an instance that was led by the rector of the PUCV, Nelson Vázquez; the rector of the UMCE, Elisa Araya; the rector of the University of Playa Ancha (UPLA), Carlos González; and the rector of the University of Los Lagos (ULagos), Óscar Garrido.
As for its members, 39 experts from the field of education from 29 universities participated.It is CRUCH that imparts carareas of Pedagogy.
Text: CRUCH Communications
Photos: UC Communications
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