What our students already know about their teachers

Chile's students have expressed high levels of trust in their teachers, according to data released this year. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025, nine out of every ten 15-year-old students in Chile believe their teachers help them learn and show interest in their education. This figure significantly exceeds the average recorded by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The findings highlight a positive aspect of the educational system despite ongoing challenges in reading and mathematics performance. The government has launched an initiative called "Chile Aprende y Avanza," which focuses on two main pillars: foundational learning and a supportive educational culture. The first pillar aims to ensure all children can read comprehensively by the end of second grade and master basic mathematical operations by fourth grade. The second pillar emphasizes creating safe and respectful school environments centered around the educational project. Both initiatives prioritize student and teacher roles within the classroom. The Ministry of Education plans to provide assessments to identify learning gaps early, along with training for teachers in effective teaching strategies and resources. There will be a focus on explicit instruction in reading and writing to enable teachers to recognize and address individual student needs effectively. The decision to eliminate the "Yo Elijo Mi PC" program from the 2027 budget has sparked debate. This program, initiated under former President Michelle Bachelet and continued through subsequent administrations, including President Sebastián Piñera and Gabriel Boric, aimed to bridge the digital divide by providing computers to public school students. This year, 96,100 seventh-grade students received computers under the program. However, the 2027 budget does not allocate funds for its continuation, marking the first time since 2009 that no new computers will be distributed to public school students. Critics argue that the evaluation used to justify the program’s elimination measures academic grades rather than assessing the closure of the digital gap. They reference Uruguay's experience with the Ceibal program, which initially showed limited direct impact on academic results but later improved outcomes once combined with appropriate content platforms and teacher training. The effectiveness of such programs depends on more than just hardware delivery, emphasizing the need for comprehensive educational infrastructure and support.