Chilean Education Movement

SUMMARY
The article called Clashes in Chile as thousands of students protest lagging education reform
Published by the RP, in August the 22th of 2014. This text provides information about many topics
that surround the Education Social Movement, mainly students points of view toward the
promises of the Chilean President Michelle Bachelet which are related to the privatized education
system in Chile. In addition, the article makes reference to riot police behavior in front of strikes
and states how their actions have been criticized, because of the violence in their intervention.
Education is a controversial topic in Chile, because it plays an important role in Chilean society, it
provides the only way in which low income people can improve their prospects, that is why
student leaders are the ones representing the movement and demanding the elimination of for
profit education profiting. An education reform is needed, because if politicians keep profiting and
taking advantage from it, a free and quality education will always be a dream, but never a reality.

EVALUATION
Student movement in Chile is more than just a convergence of different opinions about the
education system and how it works. Instead, it has reached a point in which it has become a social
movement that represents the voice of thousands of Chilean citizens that are looking for quality,
free and inclusive education system. This is mainly because of the importance that education has.
Furthermore, Chilean society is in a process of awareness of the value that education by itself
represents, and this is the foundation of the demands that are being discussed thanks to this
national movement. Strikes, parades and public manifestations have spread across the country as
a sign of general discontent of the injustices happening. In addition, the government on duty had
tried to stop and discourage all of this public manifestation, through the use of public forces and
the rising of new laws such as the Hinspeter Law that was created by Rodrigo Hinzpeter, who
was Minister of the interior of the last government. As future teachers, education represents the
foundation of our work. Through education the ideals, the culture and the identity of a country are
formed. It is one of the most important factors in a civilization, because it gives the values and the
enough knowledge to develop people qualities in real situations. We are immersed into a society
which is not giving the importance that education deserves, and that has become Education into a
consumer good. The Government forgot that students are the future of Chile and it is oppressing
and silencing them, by creating new laws or by riot police acts of violence. Politicians spent a lot of
time avoiding students or even teachers demands, we are the center of the educational system,
so our opinions about education should be heard. Indeed, an education reform is needed, we
need a real change in the structure in which our country is based. It is necessary that not only the
government, but all Chileans stop turning a blind eye on the innumerable imperfections presented
in the educational system. It is unacceptable that politicians are still profiting by something as
essential as education. It is also inadmissible the abuse of the police force in not only students
manifestations, but also in any kind of social movement (for example, AFP and fishermen
movements). It is true that there are some rebels overshadowing the real objective of marches,

but it is not fair that policemen treat all people as criminals, by using devices as tear gases and
water cannons. The dream of a free and quality education is possible, but it seems to be far away
to become real, because if there is not a government which prioritizes something as important as
education and that is focused on increasing politicians salaries, strikes will continue in time. But
this is not a sign of a loss, students should keep on manifesting their demands by going out to
streets and insisting in an improvement in our educational system, until our demands are heard.
http://rt.com/news/182008-student-protest-chile-santiago/
Articles Number of words: 620