The Council of University Directors of Chile (Cruch) met Thursday in Punta Arenas to discuss higher education reform. The main topic of discussion was revising the PSU, the entrance exam to Chile’s traditional universities, which in the past has favored students of private high schools.
Cruch represents twenty five public or government-subsidized universities including Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica, the two largest and most prestigious institutions in the country. It meets monthly to review formal education policies.
Last year, international education companyPearson investigated the PSU and found several flaws, including an apparent socioeconomic biases.
The PSU is a standardized multiple choice test made up of four different subjects. Students are required to take the mathematics and language arts sections and then choose between the science or social science sections. The Pearson review found that students from private, urban schools scored significantly higher than public school students on the mathematics and science sections.
To rectify this, Cruch decided to modify the science section into three separate pieces: biology, chemistry and physics. Pearson’s investigation concluded that technical secondary schools scored above average on physics-related science questions, but below-average in chemistry and biology. In theory, dividing the science segment into the appropriate sub-sections would allow students that specialize in certain sciences higher scores.
Other changes to the PSU include getting rid of a quarter point penalty for wrong answers.
“There isn’t really a technical reason to have this,” said Juan Zolezzi, vice-president of Cruch and dean of Universidad de Santiago, in regards to the penalty point.
Pearson noted that penalty points only encouraged students to skip questions instead of thinking through problems, which he described as the “opposite of education.”
Also on the agenda was the reevaluation of the Indirect Fiscal Support (AFI) program. The AFI awards money to Cruch universities based on the top 28,000 scores in the language and mathematics sections of the PSU of the previous year. Universities receive an awards package directly portional to the percentage of their students with PSU scores among the top 28,000.
Critics of the AFI say the program has a number of faults. First, there has been a dramatic increase of students accepted into universities, so the endowment should no longer be based on the top 28,000 scores. Since 2009 Universidad de Chile and Universidad Católica have won more than 40 percent of AFI’s US$50 million budget.
Another criticism of the AFI is that it creates bias. Studies done by both the Ministry of Education and the education think tank Educación 2020 show that universities now accept students based primarily on PSU scores.
“Universities are only encouraged to find the best PSU scores. There is no incentive to find necessarily the best students,” Carlos Figueroa, a political analyst at Educación 2020 told The Santiago Times.
Former Education Minister Harald Beyer — impeached by Congress earlier this month amid allegations of professional negligence — believed that the AFI “distorts and contaminates the entire admissions process” and wanted to replace it with a different fund. It is currently unknown whether Cruch will revise the AFI or work with the Education Ministry to create an entirely new endowment plan.
All approved changes made to the PSU will go into effect early 2014.
Provide opinions in at least 50 words
Deadline: May 31st, 2013
Before tell you my point of view, I must say that was extended too much in the topic .. Well but you are the teacher ... I think our education in Chile has had a series of controversies with respect to the "Lucro" and our evaluations about the PSU, in my opinion, if the changes not discount for omitted questions, the pre-election of universities will be more difficult to apply for continue studying and dating a licensed title ... but anyway will only be in one more year .. and does not affect me such a radical change to me.
ReplyDeleteCristopher Peregrin, Senior
In my view all the changes should not realizarze PSU of one year to another because affects us all mostly us the outgoing generation, being so important changes that should cautiously see with time because there are cases that have not considered as subtract bad for good, because in this way the test will be random and not taken as seriously as you would corresponde.
ReplyDeleteOther point is the preparations, show that the students who are upper-class are mostly more prepared in contrast, middle-class score or low, is lowest because government programs in the preparations that each school are different if they had economic independence, subencionados schools would have the opportunity to prepare more on specific subjects without following a program which excludes specific subject PSU everything would be different.
Andrea Galdame.
Well I don't know so much about universities, or politics, or that kind of things, but in my point of view, I think that Pearson Investigation have a lot of errors, cause I CAN'T answer some question that I dont have an idea about it, and the posibility of change that metodology of answer all the questions before answer that I know it's stupid, for other way the system that evaluate us must be clear, and good, I will not do the Psu if it have errors, I think that is rare, We want a better future, but we can't have it if they evaluate us in a wrong way.
ReplyDeleteJason Briceño
In my opinion, education is a business in the one that we are submitted want or not and more we, that we want to gain money. This is a vicious circle because with the silver we obtain what we want and to obtain it it is necessary to study, that is to say, get to put in the business. The truth is that this does not matter for me, by no means. To the changes that they do in the system I have to adapt, produce what they say. or you, if disagree with something, fight for change?. I believe that nobody is so brave to be revealed only against the business. And we do not obtain anything only with the protest without doing anything in the matter.
ReplyDeleteFrom my point of view, for speak of something, first you should know the topic, therefore, I have not see and if you talk about education in Chile is complicated. Also, If We want to Study in universities, we must be prepared for any changes than the government perform, ,because they are as the “Authority” and us, pawns and if You
ReplyDeletedisagree, you do not study, and search other way for be something in the life. Finally, with the new change, we should answer everything they ask, and if not I know nothing, I will have to play my test, as one lota, bingo or kino, is to say , not help me and affects me in the score.
In relation to the changes the goverment is going to apply next year, I think the PSU must be turn into a new exam close related to the study program we are applying for. There must be a specific exam for each study area. This way to exam the students will show the skills, or in opossite, the flaws that every one have, in order to select them correctly. Students will be concerned about what they will study instead of being fucused in a mechanic exam, that does not show what really students know This exam format could also diminish the leave early, deeply present in the nowadays university education.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the PSU does not represent me, as is a test to measuring the knowledge acquired in the teaching in the school, wich not is the great majority last matter in this, is content that passes in a pre university, there fore not measured to that really should, for this there is a percentage of students who do not excellent fare, as not prepared apart, because some content never are in the school and less after.
ReplyDeleteClaudia Madrid
i think that the chilean education ,.more specificly , the super duper "TEST" PSU ,is the worst system ever created to evaluate a person , you guys would ask , ¿Why so extremist? , PSU test just only evaluates the memory + systematic movements (that means things you do in a repeatly way and very often , using only 1 part of your brain , to be more exactily your logic).Your not even using 2% of your brain while doing this,this is the eg of math, but they dont evaluate your real abilities, like American/European edutacion system does , which is means 50% in tests/exams , and 50% in practice the career/job that you like to approve, thats why Chile is so mediocre , now in relation of changes to the PSU , they are irrelevant , it'll be the same system , but you can fail more often now, it would not discount you any points, but that doesnt mean your getting higher grades,in fact , it'll be the same way that we got evaluated before.
ReplyDeleteNow if we talk about universities , they are so friggen' expensive, 20 years paying 300000 chilean pesos every month just because you want to study?, that's ridiculous from my point of view.
~Rodrigo Amigo
I think that the psu has many mistakes and even more the education and the methods which we possess for the "study". I believe that memorizing not is learning and that alone teach us to be automatic. With regard to the universities they are tools that they force us to use, since if you are not university practically you are not anybody. With regard to the changes that hara in the psu I believe that they are attempts to repairing of a method that comes badly from his beginning.
ReplyDeleteTIHAGO MOYA
Unfortunately, our country along time, wanted to pretend to be a developed country in many aspects, including these highlights one very important aspects, education.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the university selection test (PSU) is nothing more than a way of spoil part of the future of the people the fact of having to rely your future on an two-hour test, however, is unacceptable that knowing the quality of education that has chile nowadays is very varied, from public schools with academicas excellence, to municipal schools teachings deficiency, precisely for this reason, students who belongs to schools where education is higher tend to have best results in this test, and those without the possibility to pay these colleges with enrollments over fifty thousand dollars a month, have a shortfall when giving this test, the problem is, who only think about leveling these questions for best results and no amount of discounting by erroneous questions, what sparked those students that do not know what to answer at random and will elect may be that obtain better scores than someone who throughout middle prepared himself for this test, simply is not enough to improve the test since only universities seek coverage and will not quality, it is necessary to delete this test and understand, as is practiced in developed countries where the university is the gateway to the future, impossible to define in a few hours.
I think, PSU in a test that discriminate between the students. This, for many people is bad but in my opinion this is good, because are encouraging the competition for be the best, in my case i feel motivated for the competition I think that is necessary. Maybe is bad that the students are discriminated for the points of a test, but not all the people can enter to the university. I think the PSU isn't the best system for enter to the university, but the new system should will be like this but 2.0, only will change some for that the test are equilibrate between private and public schools.
ReplyDeleteNow Talking about the AFI, I insist that this are encouraging for the competition and in our society this is necessary. because is a world very competitive . "I try be the best for enter in the best university and be the best professional", in my opinion this should be the philosophy for be the best, the number one!.
Bastian Sepúlveda
From my point of view the education is a nonprofit, are immersed in this already that even if we want or not to have a good education and quality we have to pay, and I also believe that if the education is not free it would be good for that very few people would work by vocation, since all want money and don't think that anyone work free of charge, in addition if you do not pay upfront, we would have to ourselves affordable books, implements etc.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not understand much of the text, but from what I understand, my opinion is this, above the entrance to universities according to the PSU, I'm 50% in favor and 50% against, and that a student does not defined his vocation by a simple test, my future will not be based according to the points you can get, but ... it also depends a bit, to see if I have the basic knowledge to understand some things happen to me in college, but all this test should not affect entry to college, because if I am to be studying layers in that race will look through my studies and my stay in the U.S., and if I am able to study what I want in the U. .. I will say good notes .... not so dependent on a test to see if I will have a productive future or not.
ReplyDeleteIvette Delgado
First of all, I think that PSU is not a good test, I mean ..How can be possible that a sheet of paper with alternatives would decide what are you gonna do with your life?
ReplyDeleteBesides, measures all your knowledge of four years and I´m not agree with that. I would prefer that PSU measure the skills that you use for find the best alternative.
About the people who has better scores I think that is not fair that universities earn money, cuz they are not who put effort in be the best guys, the money should be for the students. I'm agree about this with the Former Education Minister Harald Beyer.
Finally I can say that about the new PSU's reform, Im kinda jealous, because to the students next year, maybe could get better scores and don't deducted points for answering, like us :(
Fernanda Chandía
in my opinion the education in chile is broken i mean you just have to look the differences between a public school and a private school just in the PSU scores and nowadays every1 knows that our admissions process is deficient because they are not looking for the bests students just the best scores in the PSU because they want the money but i think is good that now the cruch is making new desicions about this system i hope that they improve the system
ReplyDeleteFrom my point of view maybe the psu is not the best way to measure college entrance because it is only looking for the best score that you would top 28,000, as this created a zero inequality and motivation, the psu should be of equal so for all as well as for school and colleges, what I mean by that is that we should measure all independent alike socioeconomic factors and so the government do their part and improve what is education for municipal schools and leave the discrimination that occurs among students of municipal schools and individuals, as private schools have a better quality of education, I think they should start fixing what is primary and secondary education and then fix and measure well what is the psu and not only encourage the good scores if not encourage people to study and fulfill their goals to fight for their future.
ReplyDeleteCarolina cajas.
In my opinion, the Chilean education has gone through difficult times in the topic of "loss" and "free education", all this adds up to new hanges over time and haven't proven solutions, and now presents a bigger one ddebemos and the more important the "PSU" where changes are very abrupt and we should get used to.
ReplyDeleteThe issue of choosing a new way of testing science has served us as we can focus on what we like to, on the other hand is the issue of the alternatives that we can play tricks with no discounting bad, since it would be like making a random test and wouldn't give much effort to gain entry to a new university,
Daniela Arellano
from my point of view , PSU changes are not included in my scheme , because i will do anything (that means any tests) that i should do to get into my career and accomplish my dream , but i think that it could be a benefit to all the people that will do PSU in 2014 , because they will not get discount in their points for wrong answers , but in alot of cases this will be a consequence, that ppl that will do PSU will run out outta time , because the method "leaving out questions" will not be used , in fact theres 2 things that will people do .
ReplyDelete1.- analize too much a question , (thats a factor to answer slower PSU).
2.- People will answer random things.
PSU is not the most indicated test to evaluate studets , just because it doesnt evaluate qualities , it evaluates your memory.
In my opinion the psu test is one of the most important test since it is the one that decides the future fence you have, and which are found very critical mistakes because as I said earlier is what decides the future of the majority of students leaving fourth means, besides these, preferring to students in private schools, not public a pretty big difference as they do not have the same performance in classes.
ReplyDeleteI find this very well and biology test divided into 3 sections, physical chemistry and biology as people can find the test that will accommodate more and different testing for public school biology test that was based on first and second means, and private schools will take depending on whether they are scientific or humanistic. And this very well so do not delay in making the changes and only two years.
I think that the psu is not the best measure to know the degree of learning of the pupils who finish the average education. First that happens with the pupils of colleges municipalizados? Or with the people of low resources?, being realistic the majority of students that native extracts puntaje has a good base in the college. Nevertheless we must not leave of sides the pupils that if they strain for having a better future. In addition in Chile the weakness is promoted very much, since nowadays it is possible to accede easily to university, with scholarships credits, etc .. of certain way this is good for the people who indeed needs it, but people with bad education and without needing these, they take advantage. And in case some person takes the psu as a game? And it fences simply to losing the time this day of the psu, and extracts a good puntaje thankfully? Where this the one that strained?
ReplyDeleteAbigail Velásquez González
From my point of view, they shouldn't do many changes to the PSU, because each time enter persons with different requirement in the test, for example the next year the PSU will change, no will discount for wrong answers and thats isn't good, because the persons who don't know the answer, they will respond at random and can get more points only for lucky
ReplyDeleteMarcelo henriquez