The Education Commission of the Chamber of Deputies heard observations from unions and organizations on the bill creating complementary mechanisms to the SAE. Minister María Paz Arzola said the government is open to suggestions.
On Wednesday the commission continued processing the bill amending the School Admission System through the creation of Mutual Choice and Random Assignment. Representatives from the National Association of Ministry of Education Officials said the initiative has constitutional flaws and violations of fundamental rights.
María Beatriz Fuenzalida, president of ANDIME, warned that the text allows schools to select again, a power banned since 2015, which contradicts the Protocol of San Salvador ratified by Chile in 2022. The union asked to reject the idea of legislating and improve the SAE directly.
Irma Iglesias of Fundación Down 21 Chile criticized that the proposed system loses the blind character of the current SAE and that the 10% quota for students with disabilities sets a ceiling that does not guarantee inclusion. Minister Arzola acknowledged that the wording can be adjusted to establish a minimum without an upper limit and expressed openness to reviewing the distance criterion.
