This was stated by the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Juan Eduardo Vargas, at the National Meeting of the PACE Network that brought together more than 500 professionals from the Access and Support Program for Higher Education (PACE) of the Ministry of Education.

With the aim of continuing to strengthen the transition processes to higher education, the National PACE Network brought together, for the first time virtually, the 31 higher education institutions attached to the program, to analyze their projections and impact and, at the same time , exchange experiences that derive from its implementation throughout the national territory.

This meeting, organized by the University of La Serena, also had the objective of strengthening the networking that has been historically developed under this Program.

“PACE is a significant program, it is a living force that transforms Chilean higher education from our classrooms, it connects with the best talents, democratically distributed in all the schools in the country and especially, with those who have had fewer opportunities, motivating them and inviting them on a virtuous journey of personal and social development. Each of the institutions that are part of the organization of this day has proven to be involved in the continuous growth of the young people of our country. There is no doubt that this meeting will allow us to streamline actions and strengthen ties, becoming a space for reflection to continue advancing in terms of equity in access to higher education," said the Rector of the ULS, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, host of the day.

Through the various platforms, more than 500 professionals from the National PACE Network became part of the event that was held virtually, given the national context of the pandemic, thus becoming an unprecedented meeting that allowed the representatives of the program to come together. of the entire national territory.

To analyze the impact and projections of the PACE program, within the framework of a public policy that contributes to reducing the gaps in access to higher education, the Undersecretary of Higher Education, Juan Eduardo Vargas, commented that “PACE as a program has been tremendously effective in terms of guaranteeing access to higher education. Seeing and listening to the experiences undoubtedly reinforces how powerful this program is along with other actions that we have undertaken in search of greater equity in higher education.”

Along the same lines, the Undersecretary added that “the objective is to promote equity in access to higher education, because ultimately talents, we are convinced, are equally distributed throughout the population. This space also gives us the possibility that the PACE can be constantly reviewed, aiming for continuous improvement.”

The debates of the day were structured around various work tables, organized according to the three components of the PACE Program: Preparation in Secondary Education (PEM), Support in Higher Education (AES) and Operational Management (GO).

Thus, higher education institutions throughout the country, represented by the more than 500 attendees at the event, illustrated the importance of generating transition processes to higher education. In that sense, the Head of the Department of Institutional Strengthening of the MINEDUC, Martín Centeno, commented that “we have been growing every year in terms of coverage, today more than 15 thousand students have gone through higher education, benefiting from the PACE Program. . Meanwhile, for 2020, the Program has 95 thousand students from 581 educational establishments, accompanied in secondary education."

In addition, the professional referred to the current challenges within the framework of the pandemic that “something that has been key from the Program is to support with the greatest flexibility possible within the framework of the pandemic. This year, it has translated into encouraging investment in resources for distance education, given the pandemic situation. We believe that this is another key tool for what the future and the work of everyone will do within the framework of the execution of PACE.”

For her part, the Executive Director APRENDE PACE ULS, Mg. Viviana Romero thanked “the work of those of us who were part of the organization of this virtual meeting, as well as the authorities who participated. We would like to highlight the great work of the professionals who supported this initiative, as well as the technical support area provided by our institutional IT Center and, of course, to all the participants in this great day.”

Written by Daniel Aguayo, LEARN ULS and PACE ULS