One of the biggest problems of the announced reform of education, defined by the President Piñera as the "mother of all battles", refers to the insidious presence of proposed curricular changes through a set of administrative measures that make up the main body of an initiative which seeks to present as a block. Relying on measures to promote the study of pedagogy, to create economic stimulus for the sector in the forms for renewal of teachers and the powers of the directors of schools and colleges are trying to introduce curricular reform is by nature different from the rest of the proposals.
This operation is dangerous and fraught with implications as it engages in the development of highly relevant studies in fields of training of our young people, taking decisions whose negative effects are expected in the immediate future. Moreover, as noted in discussions of other countries, a society that marginalizes casually history of their schools is a society "suicidal" and spiritually impoverished, weakened in their identity reference and lacks depth in its forms of analysis and projection .
Without any serious justification, much less supported in documents or reports, there is a reduction of teaching hours in the field of History, Geography and Social Sciences and Technology for the benefit of the increase of hours for language arts, mathematics and English. This is a serious decision implications and possibilities that are subtracted from the study of areas crucial to the development of life skills in society on the one hand and self-improvement training for the other.
hours are limited for education in an industry that favors the development of critical thinking, the ability to stimulate inquiry, interpretation and proposal preparation for social coexistence, pluralism and tolerance, highly relevant expressions for the formation of free citizens, informed and participatory.
is threatening the area that deals with the study of the formation of social identity, memory, civic education and social relations in which they are given the tools for understanding a rich and varied world-changing, multicultural and capable of valuing diversity as a form of wealth. It limits the field of social science studies which provide the critical tool for understanding the world of economics and industrial relations Social generated around it and restricts the possibilities for an adequate education for students in relation to the environment in which they live and the responsibilities that that implies in terms of sustainability and use of resources and energy.
With this reduction of hours are put at risk the fundamental task of delivering a solid civic education that empowers young people to the development of civic values \u200b\u200band the various forms of accountability and democratic participation.
removing 25% of hours this sector are limited possibilities for our youth to prepare adequately for a richer life and develop attitudes that help them understand the cultures and cultivate the humanities, a sector that increasingly value is placed on research .
is serious and myself who lost hours in the technology sector, land that can give many possibilities for those who are in the formative stage and encourage their creativity and responsiveness to changing world. Affected the future of our children in one of the most promising areas for egalitarian development of criteria and supportive, where creativity and imagination may have great potential.
The justification for this action which involves so many significant losses is not sufficiently developed and left flanks open to speculation. Contextual factors can guess which is the concern to achieve better test results and PSU SIMCE that determines this measure. This can give immediate political gains in the short term because, with more hours in language and mathematics can achieve higher scores. But there are not only very critical views the effectiveness and value of these results but also makes clear the application of a wrong about the search is aimed at short-term results and standardized measurement, ie to ensure that the figures indicate means of measurement without considering reassuring enough reasons and underlying problems in learning. It runs the risk of getting an illusory sense of goals achieved when these indicators can mask the lack or weakness of skills necessary for a full and varied life for society.
Extreme terms there is a sense that rather than developing an education that promotes a whole-person development and a balanced deployment of their skills for conscious and critical participation in community life, is opting for a basic instruction in the areas of language and mathematics , converted into "essence and foundation of education" by the minister Lavin.
lack of imagination in the proposed curriculum change because it applies a general measure, little work on its internal aspects, which in principle can provide short-term results such as the increase of hours sectors that are privileged. But there is still no clarity on how to use those extra hours and not on the scene today that it sufficiently imaginative twist that leads us away from a type of conventional training. By its nature "omnivorous" history, and more generally the social sciences, offer possibilities for the efficient and engaging in reading and writing skills and only need to share creativity and ingenuity to achieve a synergy in this matter. Even in the field of math skills could be achieved so attractive and effective collaboration in the formative years of our children because there are areas of convergence of matters of common interest. You should consider the development of good reading ability is found to be read in different materials, considering not only different genres but also areas of knowledge and literature as with the history, anthropology or other forms of expression of knowledge.
It is reasonable to ask whether the increase of hours will get what is expected of him. Does not necessarily the automatic increase hours of what is being done, unless the line is projected on training and instruction for passing examinations. That however would put the media over the fundamental purpose, to enrich the lives of our children with education for life.
In this scenario it not better to reduce hours of language increased for children? Could it be better to agree more hours of shared reading between Language and Communication and History, Geography and Social Sciences? Could it be possible to increase the hours of language for teachers to improve their training? Is not it better to invest in innovative forms of teaching? Is not it better to change the parts of the equation and focus efforts to enrich the search for points of convergence between disciplines and sectors?
If these actions were accompanied by administrative measures intended not only to have better student teachers but also to provide a better learning environment with fewer students per classroom would achieve a major breakthrough in the quality of our education.
It is especially important to transform this situation in a key sector in shaping the lives of free citizens, informed, caring and committed to life society, an opportunity to imagine new ways to develop educational partnerships and cultivate the fertile soil and basilar reading in conjunction with the Language sector. Seize this difficult to put more imagination and more creativity in teaching tasks making a serious effort to integration of knowledge and balanced development of skills and competencies of our children. We transform this point that can be very negative and limiting training for life in an opportunity to test new challenges.
believe that the historical lesson is a part of culture general since it allows the inclusion of students in the society we live, also making them able to participate in social life and that this preparation is as important as the basic command of the operations of reading and writing and basic math . The goal is very low proposing a ministry that is called to educate and comply with instruction.
Faced with the dilemma that the proposed curriculum reform should be stressed that have not been referred to more imaginative and creative way and has chosen an imprecise way and little discussed outside the ministerial level which hits liberal ideas on the other hand the minister claims frequently.
I hope and expect a greater degree of reflection and wisdom in modifying the curriculum, which address the suggestions of NCED and relevant authorities have the willingness to listen to ideas and arguments before Patching that can have profound consequences in the long run but can most immediately disguised.
Claudio Rolle
Professor at the Institute of History, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
