Organizations set course of action to strengthen initial education in Chile

The initiative Together for an Initial Education 2030 for the future of Chile, led by the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Fundación Choshuenco, brings together 19 entities from the academic world and civil society with the aim of promoting learning opportunities for boys and girls from the country.

Santiago, November 4, 2021.– The best learning opportunities for boys and girls, educators and teachers empowered around teaching tools with a focus on the importance of early education, in addition to the development of more nursery and kindergarten facilities. These are some objectives that unites and inspires Jtogether for an Initial Education 2030 for the future of Chile, unprecedented initiative in the country that brings together 19 institutions specialized in research and in contributing to the quality of early education in the least favored sectors of Chile.

The initiative was launched at the Central House of the Catholic University and was attended by representatives of the public and private sectors, as well as important entities such as the Undersecretary of Education and the National Board of Kindergartens (JUNJI). The event also summoned via streaming Hirokazu Yoshikawa, international expert on globalization and education from New York University, as well as Co-Director of the Global TIES for Children Center. In his keynote talk "Quality early childhood education and care systems: key to the future of countries", he delved into the American experience regarding early childhood, as well as public policies that seek to promote family programs and supports intensive after the effects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Ignacio Sánchez, valued the realization of this initiative around a stage that is key in the training processes of the next generations. “Early education is key as a development engine for the country. Much is said about building a fraternal country, but part of this challenge is related to promoting and promoting learning. Today it is key to work around collaboration to improve educational and social conditions in early childhood. Thus, from this meeting, We have proposed to work around the initial education and care of the most vulnerable families on the basis of a more equitable and sustainable future for the next generations of boys and girls in Chile”.

In turn, the director of Choshuenco Educational Foundation, Beatriz von Appen, warned that initial education today faces important challenges at the local level, which intensified with the Covid-19 pandemic. “In less favored environments, it is essential to have an excellent education to reduce gaps. In 2020, we were able to verify that the months of quarantine had an impact on many families, especially the educational processes of children. This is how we joined this alliance, to reinforce the importance of initial education. If we want to have a society with greater human wealth, it is essential to have an initial education with the appropriate tools. We want to ask the authorities and the media to place initial education at the center of the discussions. We want to accompany vulnerable families so that their children can achieve the maximum possibilities of development. Without a doubt, the wealth of a society is measured by how children and their elderly are treated”, pointed out the expert in early childhood training processes.

In the activity, the Rector of the Adolfo Ibáñez University, Harald Beyer, also shared his appreciation of the cognitive contexts of the next generations. “There is enormous vulnerability among children between the ages of 0 and 4, who fail to reach the minimum threshold of equal opportunities. Initial education can be a great contribution to shorten various problems that children face, enriching the linguistic environment and also reducing the stress of the realities they experience in vulnerable contexts. It is through initial education that this project wants to leave a mark. These are foundations and organizations that will contribute with their practical experience”, highlighted the authority.

Opportunities and challenges 2030

Together for an Initial Education 2030 for the future of Chile is based on three main objectives, which are related to theThe construction of a public story around initial education from an international perspective. To this is addedThe need to articulate and mobilize resources and conditions to establish initial education as a priority issue tboth for the public and private sectors. The third objective of the initiative focuses on constitute a platform for the transfer of knowledge between various organizations for the dissemination and understanding of the scope of initial education for the development of the country.

The Chilean scenario in this area was analyzed by Hirokazu Yoshikawa, who in contrast described the US experience. The expert referred to comprehensive initiatives such as Head Start, which correspond to centers focused on community services. The above, from the base of Resources linked to breastfeeding advice, sports promotion, strengthening of cognitive processes and the development of a culture based on innovation. It is a comprehensive model that also includes training on the best teaching methodologies for teachers. The renowned specialist highlighted the efforts being made in Chile, while calling for strengthening the exchange of experiences between our country and the United States.

In the launch activity, carried out in person and online, there was also a conversation panel made up of the Dean of the Faculty of Education of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alejandro Carrasco; the Vice President of JUNJI, Adriana Gaete; and the Director of the Santa Rosa de Lo Barnechea Kindergarten and Nursery Room, Andrea Arceu. In the meeting, moderated by the Executive Director of Fundación Choshuenco, José Manuel Jaramillo; and the Director of Center UC, Ernesto Trevino; The main advances that today outline the first steps of the initiative Together for an Initial Education 2030 for the future of Chile were discussed.

For more information, we invite you to visit the website of this initiative at: www.educacioninicial2030.cl

Relive the launch: