Chaos at SIMCE: Education Ministry Suspends Testing Due to Examiner Absences

Original article: SIMCE en jaque: Mineduc suspende aplicación tras bochornoso incumplimiento

The Education Quality Agency has announced the rescheduling of the 8th-grade exam disrupted by the absence of examiners.

On Wednesday, October 22, the Quality Measurement System — Simce — for 8th grade faced a disorganized testing day, primarily due to the lack of examiners and materials across various schools in the Metropolitan Region, leading to the suspension and rescheduling of the process. This disruption was a result of non-compliance by Ingeniería e Inversiones Fernández Limitada — INFER — the contracted company.

The Education Quality Agency, under the Education Ministry, confirmed the suspension of the exam scheduled for October 22 and 23 in the affected schools where examiners did not appear. This action aims to ensure that all students can take the test under adequate conditions, according to the agency. However, criticisms from both municipal and educational authorities quickly arose, labeling the incident as a «disgrace» and an «irresponsibility» in managing a critical educational assessment.

Furthermore, the Education Quality Agency emphasized that INFER is directly responsible for the issues faced, as it was tasked with administering the exam in the metropolitan area. The state agency announced that it is conducting «all legal analyses to impose fines and penalties as stipulated in the bidding terms, affecting this year’s testing process,» they asserted.

The agency informed that the evaluation will be rescheduled on dates to be agreed upon with the supporting entities, ensuring that those affected are not left without taking the test. This commitment is based on the necessity of obtaining complete and reliable data, which presents a new logistical and coordination challenge, in addition to the evident frustration and improvisation experienced by the educational communities.

In light of this episode, the president of the Teachers’ Union, Mario Aguilar, commented on the event, calling it a reflection of «commoditized education, where everything is a unit and a business,» criticizing the decision to let an external provider manage the testing.

The focus now shifts to concrete actions against INFER, the company that secured a significant contract worth $3.878 million, and the speed at which the Education Quality Agency will reschedule the test. New dates are expected to be announced in the coming days, while the Education Ministry faces scrutiny regarding the proper implementation of the Simce, an important tool aimed at measuring educational quality in the country.