The Philosophical Area of the Chilean Curriculum Framework NM

Ingrid López
Hellen Quintana
Cristian Sandoval
María Jesús Villa


As we have mentioned in the report "The Philosophical Area of the Chilean Curriculum Framework" , we agreed with those that say the Sources of Curriculum are just 4, (Sociological, Psychological, Pedagogical and Epistemological) and that inside the Sociological Source, there is an area that is focused on all the things related with values, with the moral and with ethical aspects.
Probably, for some experts, we are talking about the Sociological Source, and they are right, with one exception, the Sociological Source, in its Social Area, is related with the relation between students and society, the ways the students have to behave with other people, because he is immerse into a society and he has to respect different opinions. This Social Area, wants to create kids aware of different cultures from their own and kids that value and respect them. The aim of this is to create people socially compromised with their culture and their country in a responsible way.
Here is where the break is produced, the Philosophical area, as we called it, (that is inside the Sociological Source) is related just with values, ideal of persons, moral responsibility, etc, not in behalf of the society as the other source does.
In the following chart we explain graphically, and in a very easy way, the divisions of the Curriculum Sources, according to our point of view, especially the Sociological Source and its two areas.

Concept Map Philosophical Area

According to the Chilean Curriculum Framework (Secondary Education) we can affirm that it is particularly orientated to develop the knowledge. You do not need to read the whole thing to realize it. Even though it is true that the Chilean Curriculum Framework has its Transversal Contentses, it is, without any doubt, focused on Educational and Professional development, more than in the development of people's attitude, (Philosophical Area) like it happens in the Chilean Curriculum Framework (Primary Education).
This can probably sound a little bit weird, or shocking, but if you really think about it, it has a lot of sense.
Just answer this question, When do kids become moral people?. The answer to this questions is When kids are in primary education. The right moment to teach values and form ideals of persons is when we are children, between 6 to 13 years old, because we haven't been touched by the society's dirty hands, then we are like a white piece of cloth which is ready to be painted for first time.
Every interaction with children provides an opportunity to teach values. They learn about our values through daily interactions with us and they learn through our example. They are very open to receive all kind of information and that's why this is the right moment to teach values and virtues, and all the possible things to form kids of good, in a personal or social way.
But this is not the case with teenagers, as teachers, we do not teach what is good or what is wrong, because that is something they learn when they are children. The idea of the Chilean Curriculum Framework (Secondary Education) with its Transversal Contents, is to teach them how to take good decision in a process of trial and error, in other words, we have to teach decision skills to teenagers. But teachers do not try to tell them which job to take, which school to attend, whom to marry, and how to lead one's life, but give them the tools to take their own right decisions, in order to become good professionals and responsible persons inside a society.
This is the reason why we couldn't find a lot of Philosophical areas inside the Chilean Curriculum Framework (Secondary Education), as we did with the Chilean Curriculum Framework (Primary Education).
We will include some excerpts from the Chilean Curriculum Framework (Secondary Education), and then we will comment them.

Excerpts from:
“Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005.
Philosophical Area.

“…los seres humanos nacen libres e iguales en dignidad y derechos y que la perfectibilidad inherente a la naturaleza humana se despliega en procesos de autoafirmación personal y de búsqueda permanente de trascendencia, los que otorgan sentido a la existencia personal y colectiva. A la libertad que hace de cada individuo persona y sujeto de derechos y deberes, le es intrínseca la capacidad de razonar, discernir y valorar, fundamentos a su vez de la conducta moral y responsable…” (Page 2- 3 “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005. )


“…el marco de objetivos y contenidos curriculares plantea actitudes a inculcar en alumnas y alumnos respecto a: desarrollo personal, aprendizaje y relación con el conocimiento…” (Page 8 “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005.)
“...Desde la óptica del desarrollo personal, el ámbito de la Formación Diferenciada se basa en la necesidad de atender las aptitudes e intereses personales, y las disposiciones vocacionales de alumnos y alumnas, armonizando sus decisiones individuales…” (Page 11 “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005.)
“…la formación del carácter en términos de actitudes y valores fundamentales…” (Page 19 “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005.)
“…contribuir significativamente al proceso de crecimiento y auto-afirmación personal…” (Page 20 “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005.)
“…fortalecer y afianzar la formación ético-valorativa; y al desarrollo del pensamiento creativo y crítico…” (Page 20 “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005.)
“…conocimiento de sí mismo, de las potencialidades y limitaciones de cada uno…” (Page 20 “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005.)
“…autoestima, confianza en sí mismo y sentido positivo ante la vida…” (Page 20 “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005.)
“…respetar y valorar las ideas y creencias distintas a las propias…” (Page 22 “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media”. Actualización 2005.)

General Comment about the excerpts taken from Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media, Actualización 2005

Even though it is true the amount of values and so on is not the same that what was taught in primary education, all the values we saw in the Excerpts from “Objetivos Fundamentales y Contenidos Mínimos Obligatorios de la Educación Media, Actualización 2005”, are touched in all the subjects but in depth in 3º and 4º grade with the sectors of Philosophy and Psychology.

Philosophy and Psychology give to the students the capacity to develop skills related with reflexion, analysis, comprehension and sharing different opinions presented by the teacher in contents related with values and controversial topics. These sectors want to create critical views of themselves and the world.

The teacher does not teach what is good or bad, as we said before, the teacher guides his students to put into practice all the things that were delivered to them when they were children, in order that in the future, they can be able to take decisions in a critical and responsible way.

With these sectors, the student can understand deeply his personal existence, his weaknesses and fortresses. The student can learn about his rights and duties, learn to contribute to his personal auto-affirmation and character formation. He can develop his capability of reasoning, distinguishing and appraising as well as his personal development.

We like the organization of the Chilean Curriculum Framework (Secondary Education) and we also think that is important that this kind of formation should not be exclusive for some kind of students. It is an area very big and very rich, and all schools should take it seriously, because it allows students to have an integrating view which gives sense to the educative activity. It also gives a humanistic view, where topics and contents have questions that all human beings have had in some moment of their lives.

...Who am I? ... Where do I come from? ... Why am I here? ...
If you have an answer to these questions, probably you had a good philosophical training at school.



“Docendo discimus”
(Teach in order to learn)