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Mahía: University of Education will improve the quality of teaching and provide opportunities in more remote areas
03/05/2026
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The Minister of Education and Culture, José Carlos Mahía, said that the National University of Education involves specialized academic training for teachers and professors. In addition, it will allow the integration of extension and research functions. The project was sent by the Government to Parliament, which will begin its study in March, he said.
In dialogue with Presidential Communication, Mahía pointed out that the Executive Branch assumed the commitment to promote the creation of the University of Education as a key tool to improve educational quality.
He explained that the central objective is to strengthen learning and guarantee that teacher training students throughout the country access a university degree, with fully university training.
Likewise, he maintained that the institution must "look especially inward", where the offer of university proposals is mainly concentrated in the University of the Republic (Udelar) and the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC). “Expand opportunities and decentralize training,” he stressed.
Mahía pointed out that the creation of the new institution will mean an improvement in teacher training. “Being part of a university implies having academic training that incorporates specialization, both for teachers and professors, and that also integrates extension and research functions,” he explained.
The initiative was sent by the Government to Parliament and will be formally presented to legislators this March. He expressed his aspiration that the political system accompany the treatment of the project with a broad and long-term view.
The minister recalled that the creation of the UTEC was, at the time, the result of broad political agreements and that today it constitutes national pride. In that sense, he expressed his expectation that the University of Education can also be built based on consensus that transcends parties and contributes to improving Uruguayan education.
Teacher participation in the educational system
During this period, the Government presented a bill, committed to the government program and at the beginning of the administration, to restore its representation in the deconcentrated councils.
The initiative proposes to return voting participation in the conduct of education in the General Directorate of Initial and Primary Education, in the General Directorate of Secondary Education and in the General Directorate of Professional Technical Education-UTU.
"We believe that education improves when the actors who are part of it participate in its conduct. The principle of participation is key to strengthening learning and involving the entire educational community," he said.
The project was presented to Parliament and will begin its treatment in the Chamber of Deputies. As explained by the minister, the initiative incorporates an innovation with respect to previous periods, since in addition to restoring teaching representation, it provides for mechanisms to expand social participation, especially in the case of UTU.
In this sense, it is proposed to enable instances in which actors linked to the productive sector, workers and families can contribute their vision on the functioning of technical-professional education. “A broader view, which integrates contributions from the outside in, also contributes to improving the system,” he stated.
