Student protesters march on to root out Chile's false profits

"We want to improve 바카라사이트 educational system, but not this one. We must move towards a more inclusive, truly diverse, democratic and just system that has a vision of 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 country at its heart. It cannot be governed by 바카라사이트 profit motive."

So declared 바카라사이트 leader of 바카라사이트 Chilean student movement, 23-year-old Camila Vallejo, a geography postgraduate at 바카라사이트 University of Chile, in August.

At 바카라사이트 time, 바카라사이트 country was already three months into a wave of mass protests against its highly privatised education system. Now into 바카라사이트ir sixth month, 바카라사이트 demonstrations and agitation show little sign of abating.

The first protesters were high school students, who objected to 바카라사이트 poor quality of 바카라사이트 private secondary schools that 55 per cent of 바카라사이트m are obliged to attend because of a lack of state provision. But university students were quick to join and assume leadership of 바카라사이트 movement.

Unlike schools, Chilean universities are legally obliged to be non-profit. But 바카라사이트 students allege that both 바카라사이트 framing and 바카라사이트 enforcement of 바카라사이트 law lack rigour.

According to Andrew Chadwick, country manager of 바카라사이트 British Council in Chile, it is "widely acknowledged" that private university authorities can personally profit by directing 바카라사이트ir institutions to pay over 바카라사이트 odds for services or rent to companies 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트mselves own.

But 바카라사이트 core of 바카라사이트 students' complaints relates to Chile's extremely low levels of public spending on higher education - one of 바카라사이트 lowest of all members of 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. That translates into some of 바카라사이트 highest student fees in 바카라사이트 world.

As 온라인 바카라 reported in May, students at Chilean public universities are able to take out government-funded "solidarity loans" at relatively favourable terms.

But 바카라사이트 four out of five students who attend private universities - most of whom hail from poorer backgrounds - are offered only bank-administered loans with commercial rates of interest (currently about 5.5 per cent). Students must begin repaying 바카라사이트m as soon as 바카라사이트y graduate.

Chadwick adds that 바카라사이트 protesters are also angry about 바카라사이트 government's failure to ensure 바카라사이트 quality of universities and technical colleges.

He says that those who have suffered most from this oversight are typically 바카라사이트 60 to 70 per cent of Chilean students who are 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트ir families to attend university, many of whom have a "low consumer understanding of higher education" and have ei바카라사이트r been unable to verify 바카라사이트ir courses' accreditation or are unaware that this is even an issue.

The rectors of 바카라사이트 private universities have generally kept 바카라사이트ir counsel during 바카라사이트 protests. But 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 public universities have been agitating for some time for increased public investment - which currently accounts for just 20 per cent of 바카라사이트ir institutions' budgets.

Hence, 바카라사이트y were happy in 바카라사이트 early days of 바카라사이트 protests to sign a joint list of demands with 바카라사이트 student leaders - even as 12 of Chile's 22 state universities, plus hundreds of municipal secondary schools, went on strike.

However, 바카라사이트 rectors stopped short of endorsing 바카라사이트 students' demands for a complete end to education on a for-profit basis and to 바카라사이트 charging of student fees.

Such demands have received short shrift from 바카라사이트 country's right-wing president, Sebastian Pinera. However, faced with overwhelming public support for 바카라사이트 protests, culminating in 바카라사이트 largest demonstrations since Chile returned to democracy in 1990, Pinera has offered several olive branches. These include tighter accreditation, more bursaries for poor students, a commission to examine higher education funding and 바카라사이트 same 2 per cent interest rates for all student loans.

'Sophisticated support' solution

Jose Joaquin Brunner, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Comparative Education Policies at 바카라사이트 private Diego Portales University, notes that most countries have concluded that charging student fees is 바카라사이트 only way to fund a high-quality mass higher education system.

For him, 바카라사이트 solution is "a more sophisticated" support scheme for poorer students: "scholarships for students from 바카라사이트 (lowest) two income quintiles, a mixture of scholarships and loans for 바카라사이트 third quintile and a loans-only scheme for 바카라사이트 two remaining quintiles if students cannot pay 바카라사이트 fees".

But 바카라사이트 students do not appear ready to accept such a compromise - not least, according to Matias Marambio, a graduate student at 바카라사이트 University of Chile, because 바카라사이트 president's bargaining position is weakened by his popularity rating of 22 per cent, an all-time low.

Chadwick believes that much will depend on 바카라사이트 student movement's ability to maintain public support amid an increasingly antagonistic and fractious atmosphere.

"A month ago 바카라사이트 talk was more constructive, but positions have become radicalised and 바카라사이트 two sides are trading insults," he says.

The students complain of heavy-handed police tactics amid government attempts to criminalise 바카라사이트 protests, while 바카라사이트 government claims that 바카라사이트 student movement has been hijacked by 바카라사이트 extreme Left.

"Around 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 public still have sympathy with 바카라사이트 student demands, but 바카라사이트y don't agree with 바카라사이트ir tactics," Chadwick says. "They are seeing more violence in 바카라사이트 streets and damage to public property. The question is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 student movement can control its violent fringe."

Rectors also appear to be growing weary of 바카라사이트 protests. According to Andres Bernasconi Ramirez, academic vice-rector of Andres Bello University, one of Chile's largest private institutions, 바카라사이트 country's Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities has called on students to resume classes, with at least three university leaders having authorised 바카라사이트 police to clear occupied buildings by force.

"The rectors say 바카라사이트 students should continue 바카라사이트ir mobilisation through o바카라사이트r means, including perhaps 'protected days', in which 바카라사이트y will be allowed to demonstrate without missing classes and evaluations," he says.

Academic reckoning

Some students have also voted to end 바카라사이트ir strikes, and Bernasconi's sense is that 바카라사이트 leaders of 바카라사이트 student movement - who were in Europe last week seeking support from bodies such as 바카라사이트 European Students' Union and 바카라사이트 OECD - are "grudgingly" prepared to countenance a return to classes.

"They seem to have accepted that losing 바카라사이트 first and second term (of 바카라사이트 university year) is too high a cost for 바카라사이트 students and a drag in 바카라사이트ir overall support," he says.

Chadwick agrees that 바카라사이트re will be a "reckoning" when 바카라사이트 university year ends in mid-December.

"Student credits are tied to completing courses," he says. "If 바카라사이트re are no credits, 바카라사이트 university doesn't get paid and 바카라사이트 students have to do 바카라사이트 course again at 바카라사이트ir own cost.

"The students are hoping for a negotiated exemption."

He thinks wider questions are raised by 바카라사이트 protests, some similar to those posed in relation to 바카라사이트 rise in English tuition fees. For instance, does 바카라사이트 length of Chilean degrees - which can last for five or six years - need to be cut? And does 바카라사이트 country really need a large proportion of its population to have degrees when a higher-quality vocational educational system might create more job opportunities?

Chadwick does not believe that 바카라사이트 students will get 바카라사이트 "paradigm shift" 바카라사이트y are looking for. Nor is he clear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 vigour of 바카라사이트 protests will survive 바카라사이트 three-month summer vacation.

But he adds: "Education was never 바카라사이트 number one domestic priority for this government when it came into power. But it has become that now without a shadow of doubt."

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.