Educators, trade unions and opposition political parties have criticized these tests, which they consider unsuitable for 11- and 12-year-olds.
The Minister of Education of Costa Rica, Giselle Cruz, resigned this Sunday in the middle of a controversy over an exam administered on Friday to elementary school children that contained around 600 questions, some of them related to socioeconomic information on families.
“The Minister of Public Education, Giselle Cruz Maduro, presented her resignation from her position as of Monday, November 15, which was accepted by the President of the Republic, Carlos Alvarado,” the government said in a statement.
Educators, unions and opposition political parties have criticized these tests since Friday, which they consider inappropriate for children of 11 and 12 years of age and that could also be violating the rights of students, who took more than four hours to complete the test.
The questionnaire contained a section of questions on socioeconomic aspects of the families and the environment in which the children live, such as the materials with which the families’ homes are built, if they have access to cell phones and other technological devices, household appliances and other goods.
In the midst of the controversy, the minister ordered on Saturday to deliver the questionnaires to parents who request it or destroy them, recognizing that there was an error in the number of questions and the way in which many of them were formulated.
According to the Ministry of Education, these questions were intended to provide information to find out how much the context in which students live influences grades.
However, opposition deputies from various parties on Sunday demanded the resignation of Minister Cruz and announced that they are preparing a motion of censure against her, as it is possible that the test has collected sensitive data protected by law.
President Alvarado appointed the current Deputy Minister of Public Education, Steven González Cortés, as the new minister.
Academic Vice Minister Melania Brenes Monge also resigned from her post this Sunday. (I)
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