Correa for Transforming Higher Education in Ecuador

QUITO - "It is necessary to change Higher Education," affirmed Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, in his Saturday recount to citizens, on this occasion from Jipijapa, Manabi province.

The President said it is important to pass a new Law that transforms higher education and imposes high academic standards as well as formation for professors.

"Here anyone thinks he can be a university professor. To teach a universitary subject in a developed country they need at least, 16 credits of postgraduate courses in the subject, that is about four postgraduate courses," he added.

On the contrary anyone graduates here and begins to repeat badly what he learned badly. I did so, I graduated and began to teach a subject, economic dynamics and now I am embarassed of the silly things I said. One thought one knew," he said.

He said that to be a university professor you need to be a specialist in the subject you teach and in this new Law there are academic requirements to be a university professor.

The Commission of Education, Culture, Science and Technology of the National Assembly (Parliament) continued on Thursday to approve the articles of the Law to render a report for the second debate of the Organic Law on Higher Education.

There it was established that to be rector or rectoress of a university center, a professional title and academic grade of the fourth level, equal to master, doctorate, PhD or its equivalent.

According to Correa, the main problem for this Law to be passed is not in the academia part but in the political one, "because rectors want to decide for themselves so no one controls them and there is where the Law would not serve its purpose, there is the struggle."