Ñuñoa mayor Sebastián Sichel described his meeting with Education Minister María Paz Arzola as positive, aimed at discussing the future of Public Education Local Services (SLEP) in the commune. He received indications that the Education Ministry is considering postponing or suspending the transfer of schools to SLEP.
Sebastián Sichel, mayor of Ñuñoa, met with Education Minister María Paz Arzola to review the future of SLEP in the commune. Sichel called the meeting positive and noted he received "news of hope," as the ministry is analyzing the possibility of postponing or suspending the transfer of municipal schools to local services.
"Ñuñoa does not want SLEP, Ñuñoa does not want our schools to go to SLEP," Sichel stated. He added that previous meetings with former Minister Cataldo had resulted in rejections, but now there is an opening: "Before it was no, today yes, it is a real possibility."
The mayor said this would allow all schools to remain under municipal administration permanently, avoiding year-to-year temporary solutions. He announced the start of a concrete work strategy with the ministry and other mayors to amend the relevant law.
Sichel stressed there is "tremendous hope for the students," who would no longer face uncertainty about their schools' management. On timelines, he noted the ministry holds exclusive initiative to present a bill in the first semester of 2026, as Ñuñoa's SLEP is set to begin operations next year.
