In her presentation, Isabel Garrido addressed the strengthening of Public education, through the implementation of the Aysén Local Public Education Service and other actions; the progress of the Educational Reactivation Plan, which seeks to take charge of the effects of the pandemic on education and, as an emerging issue, the situation of Higher Education in the Region
Coyhaique.- On Thursday, May 30, in the Library of the Professional Technical High School Professor Ricardo Navarrete Barría of Coyhaique, the Seremi de Educación de Aysén Isabel Garrido presented the sectoral public account 2024 in the region, an event that was accompanied by representatives of the Government, educational communities , higher education institutions, teaching unions, educational assistants, parents, officials of the Ministry of Education.
In her presentation, Isabel Garrido addressed the strengthening of Public education, through the implementation of the Aysén Local Public Education Service and other actions; the advancement of the Educational Reactivation Plan, which seeks to take charge of the effects of the pandemic on education and, as an emerging issue, the situation of Higher Education in the Region.
The launch of the SLEP Aysén, the historic investment in the improvement of public school infrastructure and the actions deployed to ensure the sustainability of the higher education system in the region were part of the milestones highlighted by the regional sectoral authority.
Launch of the Aysén SLEP
On January 1, 2024, the educational transfer of four new Local Public Education Services was carried out: Iquique, Punilla Cordillera, Aysén and Magallanes. The sectoral authority stated that the Government reinforces the conviction that the New Public Education must advance in its implementation, since its administration by a supporter with exclusive dedication to the educational task can improve the quality and equity of our educational system.
In this regard, the SIMCE results for the year 2023 showed that Local Public Education Services significantly improved their learning results, comparatively more than other providers.
“A reform of this magnitude requires continuous evaluation. We know that there are problems in its implementation, which have been exhaustively identified by the Evaluation Council of this policy, and the President’s own Government program. Boric. Today we have included this evaluation in a bill that seeks to improve the implementation of the New Public Education, which recently began its processing in parliament,” reported the Seremi of Education.
Historic investment in infrastructure
During 2023, in order for the schools to be transferred in the best conditions to the Aysén Local Public Education Service, MINEDUC resources were substantially increased for the conservation of school infrastructure in those communes that would be transferred. In an unprecedented way, a fixed budget was assigned per municipality, which reached just over $9 billion pesos for the Region.
“To achieve its execution, we articulated the support of the technical teams of the Regional Secretariat, the Aysén Local Public Education Service and the Ministry of Energy, in order to encourage supporters who had technical difficulties in promoting the projects to apply. Thanks to this joint effort, 22 projects were awarded in 9 municipalities, reaching a historic investment of more than $6,427 billion pesos in the Aysén Region, which benefits 4,404 students. This represents an increase of more than 300% in the regional investment executed in 2021,” said Isabel Garrido.
Advances Educational Reactivation Plan
We worked on three axes: Coexistence and Mental Health, Strengthening Learning, and Assistance and Reconnection.
The main strategy to promote Educational Reactivation is direct support to establishments, through a team of 9 supervisors from the Provincial Department of Education. Like every year, this team was deployed in the schools of the Region, this time with a special focus on guiding schools around Educational Reactivation. To this end, they carried out 235 direct consultancies, 49 rural micro-centres and 12 network consultancies, achieving the attention of 100% of the public and subsidized establishments in the Region.
In School Coexistence and Mental Health, it was expanded. We expanded the coverage of the “A convivir selearn” plan to 7 communes: Aysén, Coyhaique, Cisnes, Chile Chico, Guaitecas, Río Ibáñez and Cochrane. The coverage of Junaeb’s “Skills for Life” program was expanded, achieving second cycle care in Cochrane, and secondary education in Coyhaique. With this, it achieves a reach of approximately 7,500 students.
The national mental health strategy also continues to be promoted, regional training in School Coexistence for Education Assistants and the Update of the National School Coexistence Policy has been presented.
Regarding the Strengthening of Learning, progress was made in Continuous Training in Early Childhood Education, actions were carried out for the Reactivation of Reading, Writing and Communication, such as the National Tutoring Plan, the Strategy for the reactivation of Mathematics, Participation of a delegation of students and teachers the 2023 Pan American Games and the implementation of the participatory process Pedagogical and Curricular Congress “Education is the Theme”.
In 2023, for the second consecutive year, the cycle of Literary Fairs and Theater Workshops was developed, this time with the theme “Democracy and Human Rights”, articulating the reactivation of learning with the commemoration of the 50 years of the Coup d’état and as a way to highlight the democratic values that are the basis of our society. 17 establishments from 5 communes in the region participated, with a special focus on isolated and rural areas on the coast and north of the Region. Approximately 2,200 students benefited. from nursery education to secondary education.
The Booktubers contest was promoted, a reading and writing initiative in which students review their favorite readings from the CRA School Library, through a video published on the You Tube channel. Its purpose is to generate motivation for reading. The 2023 call had the motto “Read to share and inhabit the world.” At the regional level, 95 videos were received from different communes and localities, from Repollal to Villa O’Higgins.
In the Assistance and Reengagement axis, progress continues on the path of recovery, after the significant drop observed in 2022.
At the regional level, it is observed that in 2023 we were among the 3 regions that decreased the most in serious absences compared to the previous year, reaching 37.4% of students in that condition. However, we have not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, which were not optimal either.
Spaces were expanded through the School Admission System, periodic attendance reports were sent to families, and the Territorial Managers Program was implemented. In the region, a team of 20 territorial managers was installed as part of the team of relinkers of the Assistance and Relinkage Axis, to support schools in this task; who are deployed in alliance with the municipalities of Aysén, Coyhaique, Guaitecas, Cisnes, Cochrane and O’Higgins.
“In the Aysén Region it is observed that for the year 2023, 3,120 students applied. That is, we have more vacancies than applicants, the same thing that happens at the national level. 63% of students were assigned to their first preference, and 73.2% to one of their first two preferences. 5.4% were not assigned in the regular period, and had to register in the complementary period through the virtual waiting list “Get on the list.” This positions us as the Region with the highest allocation rate in the first two preferences, in the entire country,” explained Isabel Garrido.
Strengthening higher education in the Aysén region
In 2022, the Superintendency of Higher Education began an investigation process into the CFT and IP Los Lagos due to the imminent risk of insolvency of the institution, along with the involvement in complex judicial processes for misuse of public funds. In September 2023, said investigation determined the loss of Official Recognition of the IP-CFT Los Lagos, and months later the closing administrators of both institutions were appointed.
During 2023, efforts were made to provide continuity of studies to 338 students in addition to delivering degree certificates to those who have already completed their studies.
“This search concluded with an agreement signed between the Undersecretariat of Higher Education and the State CFT, on January 4, 2024. The agreement guarantees the continuity of studies of the students with the support of our Public higher technical institution, which With this impulse he also takes the momentous step of setting foot in the regional capital. Thus, on May 27, the students began the first semester of continuity of studies, in the same location where the IP-CFT Los Lagos offices previously operated, and also allowing the work continuity of an important part of the workers. of the institution,” highlighted the head of education.
Recovery Plan of the University of Aysén
The sectoral authority also reported on the plan to strengthen the University of Aysen, considering that in the month of June 2023 the risk that the University would not be able to meet its financial and academic commitments became imminent. As a result of quesillo, the Superintendency of Higher Education begins an investigation, which culminates in the appointment of the Provisional Administrator, a figure whose main mission is to strengthen the University of Aysén and remove it from the crisis situation.
“As a Government we assume a commitment: the University of Aysén does not close. On the contrary, we must strengthen it. Today we fulfill that commitment, and we are seeing signs of normalization in enrollment figures, financial balance and organization of internal procedures. Along with this, we are promoting an agenda for the modernization of State Higher Education in academic, institutional and financial matters that contemplates strengthening projects such as that of the University of Aysén, which must have a different treatment in the face of the exceptional conditions of the territory. superior to serving the needs of the population. To continue strengthening SECREDUC Aysén awarded the project “Your future in the Aysén Region” financed through 8% of the National Regional Development Fund of the Regional Government, which aims to encourage the continuity of higher education for students. in regional study houses.”
To close her public account, Isabel Garrido shared a reflection.
“After many years of accumulated social demands, mobilizations and social discontent, as a country we have achieved transversal consensus that has contributed to educational equity and justice, important institutional changes that must continue to be perfected and deepened, but in no case go backwards. At the same time, the impact generated by the pandemic forced the entire system to reflect on the meaning of education and the importance of human ties in school. History would not forgive us if we let this opportunity pass, to reactivate education, to go beyond what we had before, and continue advancing in educational transformation.”
