Thousands Protest Failed Education Reform in Chile

[Modern School]

Tens of thousands of students in Chile have been protesting across the country for the past few weeks demanding comprehensive educational reforms and an end to the privatization of education. High school students have been hunger striking in Antofagasta and Santiago, Democracy Now reported yesterday. Police have responded to street demonstrations with water cannons and tear gas, while students have set fire to barricades, according to the SF Chronicle.

Since the restoration of democracy in Chile, education has been made universal for elementary and secondary school, while 40% of college-age Chileans now attend university. However, according to political scientist Patricio Navio, (quoted by Democracy Now), approximately half of the elementary and secondary students attend private voucher schools. The system was created under Pinochet, and was influenced by the Chicago School economics of Milton Friedman, who trained the Chilean “Chicago Boys.” The private schools, even with vouchers, require payments from the parents, creating a growing gap in the quality of education available in Chile.

Modern School
http://modeducation.blogspot.com/2011/08/thousands-protest-failed-education.html

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. It concerns education so it can't be worth reading.

Kidding.


K and R

[rabs]

2. Allow me to recommend

link below from the Latin American Forum. It explains what happened in Chile yesterday. Students, parents, teachers, professors, academics are fighting against the privatization of education and they are winning.

Will it bring down the rightwing government? Too early to tell.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x54665