The Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Art at the National University of Asunción (FADA-UNA) is under pressure following complaints from parents of applicants alleging irregularities in the entrance exam for the Preparatory Admission Course (CPA). Dean José Insfrán Guerrero stated that the institution is already investigating the matter and rejected accusations of negligence.
The controversy began after a group of four parents of Architecture program applicants filed a formal complaint. According to the complainants, during the Mathematics exam held last Saturday, June 13, a teacher allegedly provided direct assistance to a specific group of students, compromising the fairness and transparency of the selection process. The complaint claims that the teacher gave private lessons to a group of incoming students and, for that reason, favored her pupils during the exam.
Insfrán clarified that the faculty became aware of the complaint early last week and has since activated internal protocols. "The CPA teachers have already met, the director convened them, they spoke with the teacher involved, and inquiries were made," the dean detailed. He confirmed that the case was referred to the faculty’s Legal Advisory Office to formalize the institutional response, which will be delivered this Tuesday.
As a preventive measure, the dean said that for the second exam, Physics, logistical changes were implemented, including rotating the teachers. "The teachers who supervised Group 1 in the first exam were reassigned to other groups to avoid suspicion," he said. A consultation protocol was also established: any candidate’s question must be asked aloud and answered publicly by the teacher in front of the entire class, eliminating the possibility of private, individual interactions.
Regarding the accusation that the teacher involved gave private lessons to candidates, Insfrán was emphatic: "This is strictly prohibited." The dean explained that FADA’s policy is strict on this point, not allowing CPA teachers to act as competitors to the faculty’s official preparatory course. If the misconduct is confirmed, he assured that the teacher will be removed from the course.
During the interview, the dean reported that 362 young people are competing for one of the 120 available spots in Architecture, as well as 80 candidates for one of the 40 places in Industrial Design. Insfrán highlighted that the concern arises amid low academic performance: in the first Mathematics exam, 74% of candidates failed to reach the required minimum score of 60%. In Physics, the failure rate was even more critical, with 90% failing.
The dean stated that the faculty is facing a complex situation, where the low educational level from high school directly affects performance in exact science subjects. He regretted that the parents’ complaint suggests a "case of negligence" by FADA authorities, reaffirming that he personally met with the complaining mothers and committed to clarifying the facts without making premature judgments until the investigation is complete.