Date: 2024-07-26 Page is: DBtxt001.php txt00001903
Country ... Chile
'Occupying' Chile’s education budget
STREAM ... Student protesters and the government may be closer to reaching an agreement on education spending.
COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
'Occupying' Chile’s education budget
Student protesters and the government may be closer to reaching an agreement on education spending.
http://youtu.be/c3lxCdgEJAw
Since May, students have led public protests in Chile demanding more affordable tuition in a country that has some of the highest tuition fees and weakest financial aid programmes in the world.
Demonstrators deny allegations by government officials that the once-peaceful movement has been hijacked by political factions that authorities are calling the “extreme Left.” Activists have countered with allegations of police brutality, saying the government’s response to the crowds has been repressive and heavy-handed.
Protest leaders had earlier rejected proposed talks with the government, saying it did not commit to increasing public spending on higher education.
After an education subcommittee rejected parliament’s proposed 2012 budget late last month, officials are expected to meet again, this time with concessions in hand. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera may be ready to offer as much as $1.2 billion for education, in the coming year.
Beyond educational reforms, protesters are also demanding change in Chile’s environmental, trade, energy and labour policies.
In this episode of The Stream, we speak to Chilean Congressman José Manuel Edwards of the conservative National Renewal Party and Elizabeth Rivera, a citizen journalist who has been covering the student protest movement for Global Voices Online.
What do you think of the progress of Chile's student protests? Send us your thoughts and comments on Facebook or Twitter using hashtag #AJStream.
These are some of the social media elements featured in this episode of The Stream:
On Oct 19, military and students protesters clashed near the Southern University of Chile.
http://youtu.be/x52gTCpOSNY
marcha y enfrentamiento 19 de octubre en Valdivia UACh paro nacional!
All across Chile, demonstrators take to the streets in the fourth straight day of protests this week.
Flickr
Flickr
Flickr
This video summarises five months of educational reform demonstrations.
The footage is set to Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux’s song “Shock” – a reference to neoliberal policies criticised in the book “The Shock Doctrine.” Protesters say those for-profit principles are at the foundation of the education system’s problems.
Aperra por la Educación: Shock (Ana Tijoux)
http://youtu.be/yNVTavPEupk
Chile's Minister of Education Felipe Bulnes was rushed out of a legislative meeting by student protesters.
Ministro Bulnes huye del Congreso en Santiago
http://youtu.be/CYbb9eQ6gV0
The text being discussed is available at
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