The results of the new PAES, which marks the entrance to higher education institutions that are part of the single entry system, are only a few days away.
Not only has a new instrument been released that promises to be able to measure more than just the knowledge of the students, but also to be able to collect the competencies they have to enter the world of higher education.
We do not yet know if this promise will really be fulfilled, what we do know is that thousands of young people and their families are eagerly awaiting the results, excited about the choice that will mark their studies in the coming years.
However, these new students will face some challenges not yet solved by the educational system, such as a training focused on competencies for the 21st century, which entails a change in the way professionals have been taught for decades. Competencies such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence and the ability to communicate and work in teams are just some of these skills, not to mention digital competencies, which have become the new literacy of these times.
Another urgent situation that needs to be addressed is related to the level of student desertion that continues to exist in our system. In Chile, 28.8% of higher education students do not finish their studies, and worldwide this number reaches 34%, generating an enormous social and economic impact, both for the student and his family, as well as for the State and the institutions.
Finally, the duration of careers and their connection with the real world of work is another challenge that has not yet advanced at the required speed. In a world that is changing at an unprecedented speed, continuing to have a bachelor’s degree in five or six years does not seem to make any sense, so rethinking the way in which education is taught and what should be learned becomes a task that has not yet been really addressed by the institutions and education authorities of the countries.
Thus, the challenge continues, now with a new generation of young people who aspire to receive an education that will enable them to face the challenges they will have to face with better skills, in a volatile and uncertain context, but which is still open to opportunities for those who have the vision and the necessary skills to face them.
We will continue to await the new results of this test for access to higher education in Chile, with the confidence that, albeit slowly, we will continue to advance to an educational system that provides a higher level of quality, in connection with the challenges of an environment that requires more and better technicians and professionals, who not only have knowledge of their specific areas, but also have those skills that make the difference.
The challenge is still open.