MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Teachers take to the streets of Chile to protest education bill in Congress
Several thousand teachers poured into the streets of Santiago and other cities of Chile to express their rejection of an education bill currently being debated in Congress. The Monday march marked the first day of a strike called by the teachers union, which demands changes in key aspects of a bill that includes some of the reforms to the education system being promoted by the Michelle Bachelet government. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesThere will be no satisfaction here in Chile, especially as our President has promised the impossible. Chile needed educational reform, but it's being done wrongly.
Jun 02nd, 2015 - 01:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0So thats what Morenos up to these days.
Jun 02nd, 2015 - 07:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0chilotelandia is not even a project of a country.
Jun 02nd, 2015 - 09:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0it is a disgrace.
a sad joke.
Better if our bed pan cleaner, Paulcedron, stops drinking the bathroom disinfectant. He's naturally envious of Chile's superiority over Argentina as well as extremely bitter about it. Pity the wretch as all he can do now is to wail...
Jun 02nd, 2015 - 09:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0PC is so jealous of Chile is seeps out of his posts.
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 09:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0Chile needs to reform the teachers if they have any hope of improving education. Forget free college education and plough the money into education up to the age of 18. People are perfectly employable at 18 with a good education. If they want to invest more in further education that is their choice.
Make the teaching profession one to aspire to be a part of. In turn the government has to be able to judge the teachers and the pupil's abilities through testing and to be able to sack useless teachers. If you don't have certificated tests the education has no value outside of Chile.
If college education is to be a possibility for poorer families, introduce a broader scholarship system financed by professions needing graduates.
#5 Elaine
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 09:39 am - Link - Report abuse 0Good thoughts that I agree with.
As I think you know, most Chileans of all political sides agree that public education needs to be improved and has been for the past 16 years. A great deal of money has been spent on new infrastructure, new schools and books. There are generous scholarships for those who major in education and agree to teach in public schools. Teachers should be be paid more, and there were banners out yesterday on the streets reminding the public about it.
The problem is that “free university education”, like in Argentina, would result in a gigantic waste of reasources as we already have too many degreed architects, journalists, fashion designers, history majors... That can't find a job.
@6 I agree completely about not handing out free university education for all. If adult students are not prepared to invest in themselves, why should the tax payer. You end up with eternal students spending most of their 20's doing worthless degrees and then expecting to walk into a well-paid job. They tend to think they are too good to do many perfectly acceptable jobs. (I know this goes much deeper because of the class system).
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 11:40 am - Link - Report abuse 0It will take a shift in thinking to realise that there are many worthwhile professions that don't require anything more than a good education to 18 and working through the ranks.
I can see a problem from both sides. Young people are aspirational and confuse that with thinking they all deserve to be the boss. But there are certain types of employers that still think their employees are serfs and treat them that way. It is going to need re-education across the classes.
I also agree teachers are underpaid. They should get more but with the condition that they deliver. Useless teachers have no right being responsible for the next generation.
Chicureo, we have a bad situation in the UK which will happen in Chile if people are allowed to go to University willy nilly. Many 'graduates' do worthless degrees and end up in poor jobs frustrated because the jobs they want don't exist. Employers should have more say and University Graduate output should be tailored to their needs. As it is we are having to import young Engineers and Scientist from overseas. There has been a big expansion of apprenticeships in the UK, but many of these are in name only with no real substance. They are even applying the term to burger flippers and this devalues the concept for every participant! Student apprenticeships with University Level education alongside practical training is the way to go, but try telling politicians that! That is the route that I became an Engineer in the 1960s. A much better way to train and educate Engineers. You finish your apprenticeship at 21 and can immediately start work making a significant contribution.
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 04:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#8 CaptainSilver
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 06:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0My paternal grandfather was also an engineer from Scotland and having a small family farm, my entire family have always placed a great value on practical engineering. (During the Allende years, we learned to repair tractors with bailing wire...)
I sincerely understand about free university education what you're saying as I experienced it first hand. In 2008, I was assigned as a foreign reserve officer for training in the beautiful town of Bedford, England and became a regular patron at the Royal Oak pub. The barman had a doctorate in history, my favorite waitress a masters in art and the other Welsh waiter a masters in dramatic arts. I loved the place as there was always intelligent conversation and many times a good chess game available. The UK can afford this luxury, but Chile cannot. We need to intensely focus on K-12.
By the way, I have to tip my hat to Argentina for being responsible in allowing me to attend the Naval Academy with a full scholarship. In 1978 my country went on a war footing and actively sleeked out students with a high proficiency in English. (I attended a British school in Santiago and our family spoke English as our first language in home.) The deciding factor was that the family farm was still in near bankruptcy from the Allende period and my parents could not really afford paying for my university education, which takes 5 years here in Chile. Thankfully, I was not aware of the 5:45 AM daily cold showers or I would have never accepted...
Chicureo, because you have lived here, you understand who we are and what we are about. The Falkland Islanders will always be good friends to your beautiful country that I had the privelige to visit early in 2014. My photos of the Atacama, Patagonia and your cities always draw gasps from my friends. I loved Valporaiso, the Liverpool of South America and somewhere I always yearned to visit. Seeing those friendly grey ships at the breakwater was very reassuring. Everywhere we went we were made welcome, the Chilean people are so nice. Its so sad that just across the Andes its so different although out in the sticks on my cycling trips I met many nice people.
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 06:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#10 Captain Silver
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 07:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Thanks for your kind comments. I've Ben several times to the UK, but my training in Bedford was my most memorable. The Chilean naval uniform is very similar to the Royal Navy and it was amusing to watch the British stare at my uniform and try to figure out who the hell I was. My assignment to a “stone frigate” was even more confusing although the locals knew that the'd never get a straight answer...
By the way, Argentines can be very friendly and I have friends across the Andes, but you always need to keep an “eye on your pocket” as my grandmother always advised...
Question: do you like fly fishing?
Haha, like a lady with us who went to a Tango evening in BA and had her handbag stolen!
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 08:40 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I used to fly fish for sea trout in the River Fowey years ago when we had a house in Cornwall. A writer we know recently went fly fishing in southern Chile. It sounded great.
#12 Captain Silver
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 09:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Out of this world! I organized a group of friends nearly 5 years ago whom I met at the HMS Ferret for fly fishing in Patagonia. They brought the single malts and I the Cabernet.
Chicureo, you reminded me, time for a shot of the Woodford Reserve Bourbon that I bought in Waitrose this morning. Giving up Scotch for the time being ;-)
Jun 03rd, 2015 - 10:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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