Carolina Melo, Human Development Lab Associate and co-founder of the initiative “Por un Chile que Lee,” recently participated in an panel on educational policy alongside Minister of Education Nicolás Cataldo. The event took place at Universidad de los Andes and was part of the public consultation concerning curricular adjustments for primary and secondary education.
During the meeting, the Minister of Education presented the proposed curricular adjustments and elaborated on the mechanisms involved in developing the various steps of the process. It was emphasized that this constituted a public consultation, allowing participants to voice their insights. Carolina Melo noted that the reception was cordial and positive, describing the dialogue as “refreshing and productive.”
The curricular foundations had previously been modified during the pandemic, but the adjustment period was extended until this year. Melo highlighted the importance of determining whether the current curricular prioritization would be maintained, if there would be a return to the previous curriculum, or if a new version would be proposed. The current initiative seeks to adjust the prior curriculum by incorporating language education in a transversal manner, thereby making reading and writing visible across all subjects.
The public consultation concerning the curricular adjustments saw significant engagement, with over 805,000 individuals contributing their opinions and recommendations. “The consultation was an excellent measure for gathering the general public’s perspectives on the proposals. It is essential to conduct both technical and political validation, which was precisely the focus of the panel, comprising experts in educational policy and language,” Melo added. The proposal will be submitted to the National Education Council in November of this year.
