Irma Salas Silva (11 March 1903 – 28 April 1987) was a distinguished Chilean educator. She was the first Chilean woman to earn a doctorate in education, obtained at Columbia University in 1930.

Biography

Irma Salas was born in Santiago on 11 March 1903, the daughter of educator and Luisa Silva Molina. She followed in her father's footsteps, becoming a noted academic administrator. She was also an advocate for women's rights and education. She died on 28 April 1987.

Teaching career

Salas entered the of the University of Chile, where she qualified as Professor of English in 1924. In 1927 she was sent by the government to complete her studies in the United States, where she received her doctorate in education from Columbia University in 1930. She was the first Chilean woman to earn this degree. Her thesis was titled ''The socionomic composition of the high school population in Chile''. When she returned home, she joined the faculty of the Pedagogical Institute. She became one of the main promoters of pedagogical experimentation, taking part in the creation of the and serving as its director until 1943. There she implemented the educational principles of

John Dewey John Dewey (; October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. He was one of the most prominent American scholars in the f ...

. After leaving the school in 1945, she was appointed president of the commission for the renovation of the

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

system, in charge of reformulating and rethinking Chilean secondary education. The commission proposed the creation of more experimental lyceums, beginning with six, then extending the reform to the rest. In 1953 President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo put a stop to the reform, so it was limited to the first seven schools. However, some elements of this reform, such as course councils, student centers, and chief teachers, were adopted by the Chilean secondary school system. In 1946 Salas assumed leadership of the Department of Education of the University of Chile's Faculty of Philosophy and Education. One of her professional goals was the expansion of the university to the regions of Chile. In 1960, under rector

Juan Gómez Millas Juan Gómez Millas (; July 18, 1900 – March 16, 1987) was a Chilean politician and educator. In 1925, he was accepted as a professor of universal history from the Pedagogical Institute. Years later, he became director of the Institute of Hi ...

, Irma Salas implemented a program of university colleges, within the University of Chile, that offered short courses of study, in Temuco, La Serena, Osorno, Antofagasta, and other cities. In 1981 these would become public autonomous universities.

Work for women's rights

In 1931, just after the fall of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, Salas participated in the creation of the Association of University Women, within which she served as secretary of the first board of directors. The organization, which sought to extend and improve the cultural, economic, civic, and social opportunities of professional women and raise the living conditions of women in general, was driven mainly by

Amanda Labarca Amanda Labarca Hubertson (; 1886–1975), was a Chilean diplomat, educator, writer and feminist. Her work was directed mainly at improving the situation of Latin American women and women's suffrage in Chile. She was born Pinto Sepúlveda in Santi ...

, with Ernestina Pérez as president and Labarca and lawyer

Elena Caffarena Elena Caffarena Morice (; March 23, 1903 - July 19, 2003) was a Chilean lawyer, jurist and politician. Contemporary historians and humanists consider her to be one of the most important 20th-century public figures in Chile. Biography Elena Caffa ...

as vice-presidents. In 1946 Salas reported, during the celebration of

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wom ...

in the , as a member of the Association of University Women, on the Women's Congress, held in Paris in 1945. In her speech she stated that "women had participated actively in the war effort, which had given them a new self-awareness and respect," and that they had learned "to convert the principles of democracy into reality for women".

Honors

In 1953 Salas was appointed a UNESCO permanent specialist in education. In 1983 she received the Andrés Bello Inter-American Prize for Education, presented by the

Organization of American States The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...

. The jury recognized The University of Chile awarded her the title of '' doctor honoris causa'' in 1981. An elementary school, Escuela Irma Salas Silva, was named in her honor in Concón.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salas Silva, Irma 1903 births 1987 deaths 20th-century Chilean educators Chilean women's rights activists People from Santiago Teachers College, Columbia University alumni University of Chile alumni University of Chile faculty Women academic administrators 20th-century women educators