Por La Educacion!
In Chile, there was a major strike happening between students and the government. Some say it is a test for the new president, Michelle Bachelet.
When I was in Chile last week, I noticed a lot of student milling about on the morning of Monday, May 29. They had some protest signs up at one school and all of the students in their smart uniforms were spilling out onto the sidewalk. As I made my way down the sidewalk, one of the students shook her cup of change at me asking for a donation. I thought it was strange that the students were moonlighting as panhandlers on their way to class. But, maybe it was just one of those things. I didn't connect the strike with the panhandling until another girl begging for me asked for money and then added the exclamation, "Por la educacion!". Ok, I got it now. School must be expensive there.
Of all the Spanish speaking countries in Latin America, Chile has the strongest economy but the education costs sound prohibitive for the average Chilean. The average salary is $11,300 US dollars according to the CIA World Factbook. My Chilean friend, Faby, told me that the monthly cost of school there is expensive compared to the earnings of most and that most Chileans graduate from university with a heavy debt load. That is why some students beg for money on their way to school, she said.
The strike sounded very grassroots with 20 schools joining, then 40 and finally up to all of the schools in Santiago. When I was in Valapairso on May 30, I saw signs up at another school, too. Before I left Chile on June 1, I heard that the strike the day prior turned violent with the police clashing with the otherwise peaceful students. This week, I heard that the strike grew to one million people and that the President is agreeing to some their demands. It'll be interesting to see how the situation unfolds. After all, education is a universal human right but for many it still remains out of reach. If Chile wants to keep progressing, they should focus on educating their citizens and keeping the costs down.
When I was in Chile last week, I noticed a lot of student milling about on the morning of Monday, May 29. They had some protest signs up at one school and all of the students in their smart uniforms were spilling out onto the sidewalk. As I made my way down the sidewalk, one of the students shook her cup of change at me asking for a donation. I thought it was strange that the students were moonlighting as panhandlers on their way to class. But, maybe it was just one of those things. I didn't connect the strike with the panhandling until another girl begging for me asked for money and then added the exclamation, "Por la educacion!". Ok, I got it now. School must be expensive there.
Of all the Spanish speaking countries in Latin America, Chile has the strongest economy but the education costs sound prohibitive for the average Chilean. The average salary is $11,300 US dollars according to the CIA World Factbook. My Chilean friend, Faby, told me that the monthly cost of school there is expensive compared to the earnings of most and that most Chileans graduate from university with a heavy debt load. That is why some students beg for money on their way to school, she said.
The strike sounded very grassroots with 20 schools joining, then 40 and finally up to all of the schools in Santiago. When I was in Valapairso on May 30, I saw signs up at another school, too. Before I left Chile on June 1, I heard that the strike the day prior turned violent with the police clashing with the otherwise peaceful students. This week, I heard that the strike grew to one million people and that the President is agreeing to some their demands. It'll be interesting to see how the situation unfolds. After all, education is a universal human right but for many it still remains out of reach. If Chile wants to keep progressing, they should focus on educating their citizens and keeping the costs down.
posted by Susanne M | 6:13 PM
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