Facing the bad news from the PAES” is the title of the Letter to the Editor recently published in El Mercurio, written by Dora Altbir, director of the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CEDENNA) and 2019 National Prize for Exact Sciences winner, together with Miguel Kiwi, Center researcher and 2007 National Prize for Exact Sciences winner.
In the text, both distinguished scientists analyze the worrying results obtained in the Science test of the PAES (university admission test), inviting readers to see them not only as a short-term warning sign, but as the expression of a structural challenge that requires a long-term view and sustained policies over time.
The letter emphasizes the need to strengthen science education from early stages, promoting critical thinking, a deep understanding of natural phenomena and the link between science, society and development. The authors also stress the irreplaceable role of the State in building an education system capable of training citizens with the tools to understand an increasingly complex and technologically advanced world.
From this perspective, the text does not merely diagnose a difficulty, but puts forward an invitation to transform challenges into opportunities, moving towards a more solid, equitable and inclusive science education, aligned with the country’s needs and its future development.
The publication of this letter reinforces CEDENNA’s commitment to public debate and to generating knowledge that contributes not only to scientific progress, but also to critical reflection on education, training and public policy in Chile.
? Read the full letter here:
? https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hlXxE9nYgfItrEy1UZQbflOm5-Zm26IJ/view?usp=sharing
