Ernesto Schiefelbein
Chilean politician (1934–2024)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ernesto Schifelbein Fuenzalida (19 August 1934 – 26 January 2024) was a Chilean politician who served as minister.[3] Similarly, in 2007, he was awarded the National Education Prize.[4][1][2]
Ernesto Schifelbein | |
|---|---|
| Head of the Autonomous University | |
| In office 29 July 2011 – 30 June 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Teodoro Ribera |
| Succeeded by | Teodoro Ribera |
| Minister of Education | |
| In office 11 March 1994 – 20 September 1994 | |
| President | Eduardo Frei Ruíz-Tagle |
| Preceded by | Jorge Arrate |
| Succeeded by | Sergio Molina Silva |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 August 1934 |
| Died | 26 January 2024 (aged 89) Santiago, Chile |
| Party | None |
| Spouse | María Clara Grossi |
| Children | Seven |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Scholar |
| Profession | Economist |
In 2011, he assumed as head of the Autonomous University of Chile.[5][6]
Schifelbein died in Santiago on 26 January 2024, at the age of 89.[7]
Biography
He was the son of Ernesto Schiefelbein and Olga Fuenzalida, and was married to María Clara Grossi.[8]
He qualified as a teacher at the Technical State University (UTE) and earned a degree in business administration from the University of Chile in 1960. He later received a doctorate in education from Harvard University in the United States in 1970.[8][9]
As early as the 1960s, he was among the first education specialists in Chile to emphasize the importance of scientific research in the design of public policy. Throughout his career, he consistently relied on empirical evidence to improve the performance of teachers and students in the classroom.[10]
During the administration of Eduardo Frei Montalva, he served as Director of Planning at the Ministry of Education under Minister Juan Gómez Millas, where he played an active role in the 1965 Chilean education reform.[8]
In 1971, he founded the Programa Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones en Educación (PIIE), a pioneering educational research center established within the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.[10]
He served as an education planning specialist for the Regional Employment Program for Latin America and the Caribbean (PREALC) from 1974 to 1976, was a visiting professor at Harvard University from 1973 to 1974, and co-directed the first Spanish-language course on educational project preparation organized by the World Bank's Economic Development Institute (EDI) in 1973.[9]
He coordinated UNESCO's Regional Education Information System for Latin America and the Caribbean from 1988 to 1992, worked as an education planner at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. from 1985 to 1987, and served as coordinator of the Latin American Education Documentation Network (REDUC) and as a researcher at the Center for Research and Development in Education between 1976 and 1985.[9]
Political career
Politically independent, he was appointed Minister of Education by President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle in his first cabinet.[9][10] During his tenure, he oversaw reforms to the Teachers' Statute, which led to a nationwide teachers' strike in May 1994.
He left the ministry in September 1994, together with Interior Minister Germán Correa and Government Spokesperson Víctor Manuel Rebolledo.[10]
He later served as rector of Santo Tomás University from 1997 to 2001,[11] and also worked at the Center for Research and Development in Education of the Alberto Hurtado University.
In 2004, he received the Jan Amos Comenius Medal, awarded by UNESCO during the International Conference on Education in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 2007, the Chilean government awarded him the National Prize for Educational Sciences in recognition of his contributions to education.[12][13][14][15][16]
In July 2011, he became rector of the Universidad Autónoma de Chile, succeeding Teodoro Ribera, who had been appointed Minister of Justice.[17]