The Ministry of Education and Culture of Uruguay is the ministry of the

Government of Uruguay The politics of Uruguay abide by a presidential representative democratic republic, under which the President of Uruguay is both the head of state and the head of government, as well as a multiform party system. The president exercises executi ...

that is responsible for the coordination of national education, the promotion of the country's cultural development, the preservation of the nation's artistic, historical and cultural heritage, as well as innovation, science and technology and the promotion and strengthening of the validity of human rights. It is also responsible for the development of the state communication multimedia system and for promoting the digitized access of the entire population to information. It is also responsible for the formulation and coordination of policies regarding the judicial defense of the interests of the State and for ensuring the necessary information for the correct application of the law. The Ministry is headquartered in the Reconquista Street in

Ciudad Vieja Ciudad Vieja () is a town and municipality in the Guatemalan department of Sacatepéquez. According to the 2018 census, the town has a population of 32,802

Montevideo Montevideo () is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . Montevideo is situated on the southern co ...

. The current Minister of Education and Culture is Pablo Da Silveira, who has held the position since 1 March 2020.

History

The first record of a public body for the administration of education dates from 26 February 1848 with the creation of the Institute of Public Instruction. This institute had executive, technical, and administrative powers. A year later, the

University of the Republic The University of the Republic ( es, Universidad de la República, sometimes ''UdelaR'') is Uruguay's oldest public university. It is by far the country's largest university, as well as the second largest public university in South America and ...

was founded, which had among its missions, teaching at all levels, a fact that was never put into practice. In 1891, a

cabinet reshuffle A cabinet reshuffle or shuffle occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet, or when the Head of State changes the head of government and a number of ministers. They are more common in par ...

was made, becoming the newly created Ministry of Development responsible for the administration of

public education State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary educational institution, schools that educate all students without charge. They are ...

. On 12 March 1907, then President

Claudio Williman Claudio Wílliman Gonzalez (born 10 October 1861 in Montevideo – † 9 February 1934 in Montevideo) was a Uruguayan political figure. Background Claudio Wílliman's parents, José Williman and Antonia González, were immigrants from Galici ...

made a new

, dividing the Ministry of Development into the "Ministry of Public Works" on the one hand and the Ministers of Industry, Work and Public Instruction on the other. In the second presidency of

José Batlle y Ordóñez José Pablo Torcuato Batlle y Ordóñez ( or ; 23 May 1856 in Montevideo, Uruguay – 20 October 1929), nicknamed ''Don Pepe'', was a prominent Uruguayan politician, who served two terms as President of Uruguay for the Colorado Party. He w ...

another cabinet reshuffle of the ministries takes place, so on 4 March 1912 the Ministry of Justice and Public Instruction is constituted. Subsequently, on 19 March 1936 the then de facto president

Gabriel Terra José Luis Gabriel Terra Leivas ( Montevideo, 1 August 1873 - Montevideo, 15 September 1942) was a lawyer and politician of batllista origin in Uruguay, and advisor to all Uruguayan governments on diplomatic, Economic and financial issu ...

called him Ministry of Public Instruction and Social Prevision. In 1967 it receives a new denomination, it began to be called Ministry of Culture, but finally in 1970 it obtained the current denomination of Ministry of Education and Culture. Source:

List of Ministers of Education and Culture

List of Ministers of Education and Culture of Uruguay since 1884 (under its various naming):

References

External links

Uruguayan Ministry of Education and Culture (in Spanish only)
{{Authority control Education and Culture Ministers