Undersecretariat approves closure of Mathematics Pedagogy in Linares

The Undersecretariat of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education approved the Closure Plan for the degree in Pedagogy in Secondary Education in Mathematics - Linares of the University of Talca, through exempt resolution No. 6,393, dated September 15, 2026. The administrative act was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile No. 44,560, on Monday, September 28, 2026, Section II (Particular Norms), pages 1 to 4, with official reference CVE 2873697. The resolution bears the signature of Fernanda Valdés Raczynski, Undersecretary of Higher Education.

The measure is issued under article 25 ter of Law No. 20,129, which obliges higher education institutions to present a Closure Plan to the Undersecretariat of Higher Education—previously notified to enrolled students—and which only allows its execution once approved. The procedure is also governed by Supreme Decree No. 29 of 2021, from the Ministry of Education, and by Law No. 21,091 on Higher Education.

The origin of the process

The file began with official letter Ext. No. 73/2025, dated June 9, 2025, through which the Rector of the University of Talca submitted the plan for approval by the Undersecretariat. The institutional decision to close the degree is recorded in resolution No. 500 of 2023, from the same educational institution, which promulgated agreement No. 2,047 of its Board of Directors, adopted in session No. 277 on March 31, 2023.

The University Education Division of the Undersecretariat of Higher Education verified compliance with the plan’s requirements through internal memorandum No. 06/901, dated September 8, 2025. According to the records, the decision was based on the decrease in enrollment and retention, and on the labor context for future graduates.

A degree without current students

The Closure Plan reports that the degree has no current students, which coincides with the records of the Higher Education Information System (SIES). The central points of the file are:

• Since 2024, there have been no enrolled students and there are no students with pending processes.
• The last students graduated in 2023.
• Three students with the option of reinstatement did not enroll.
• During the second semester of 2023, students with the possibility of reinstatement were notified.
• The transfer of 3 students to new degrees was authorized in 2018, 2020, and 2023 (Annex 18 of the Closure Plan).
• Point 2.2 of the plan contains the evolution of enrollment between 2013 and 2024 and the retention rates for the first and third years.

Academics, records, and deadlines

Regarding labor matters, the plan indicates that there are no academic hires in the program. The person who served as Director of the School of Mathematics Pedagogy performs functions in the Faculty of Education Sciences; the remaining academics were on fee-for-service contracts or depended on another academic unit and were reassigned, while the Program Assistant was terminated in 2023. The University of Talca committed to strict compliance with current labor regulations.

To safeguard the integrity of academic records, the institution has student life cycle administration systems, including the Computer System for Curricular Management (SGC). The Gantt chart in point 7 sets the closing date of the program as the second semester of 2025.

Article 2 obligates the University of Talca to inform the Undersecretariat regarding the execution, completion, and fulfillment of the plan within 10 business days from its conclusion. Article 3 orders notification by certified mail, and Article 4 establishes that a motion for reconsideration may be filed against the resolution before the Undersecretary of Higher Education within five days of notification.

The closure formalizes the University of Talca’s exit from initial teacher training in mathematics in the province of Linares, within a context of contracting enrollment in pedagogy and growing concern over the deficit of mathematics teachers in the regions. The resolution also sets a precedent on how the safeguarding of students’ and workers’ rights is accredited when a program is extinguished without current students.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,560, Monday, September 28, 2026, Section II (Particular Norms), pp. 1-4 (official reference: CVE 2873697).