By Wendy Anders

On Tuesday, Costa Rican Legislator Luis Vásquez of the Social Christian Party (PUSC, in Spanish) filed a motion against Education Minister Sonia Marta Mora in the Constitutional Court, reported Elmundo.cr, a Costa Rican digital news source.

The Legislator claims that requiring high school students to take mandatory admission tests to enter one of the country’s public universities violates the constitution on two counts: the principle of equality and that of mercy.

“Today we are presenting, with the support of students, parents, and teachers, a motion that argues for students to be protected from non-compliance and disrespect of two constitutional principles. In the file is all the supporting evidence, and we hope that in the coming days with the support of students, teachers and parents to be able to present other documents, and add more signatures to the petition,” said Vásquez.

The problem, according to Vásquez, is that students from rural areas take the same admissions test as young people from urban schools, who have an advantage due to their better learning conditions.

He added that because of this, many young people from rural areas fail the exams, which means they are disproportionately prevented from accessing higher education. Vásquez also pointed to the moral and psychological damage experienced by students who find their dreams and plans truncated due to an inability to perform as well as their urban peers on the outmoded admissions exam, said Elmundocr.com.

Finally Vásquez stated that the original purpose and function of the college admission tests has been lost over time.