Education Reform the Chileno Way

Professors from around the region marching in Temuco
on the day of the national strike for education reform
Under Pinochet, almost all aspects of education from preschool through college were privatized. There still exist public schools but these are woefully underfunded. Public schools are overcrowded with at least 40 -50 students to a class including in the primary grades. Students are two to a desk and share books. Buildings are run down and often unsanitary, unheated, and depressing. Teachers are underpaid and ill prepared for the realities of the classroom. This sounds like an over-exaggeration but unfortunately it is not. The downward spiral seems to have begun in earnest during the 70’s when education was sold off to private enterprise. Now, Chile finds itself at an inflection point over education reform.
Private schools have all the benefits of money that is lacking in the public schools. But along with privatizing the standards also disappeared. Anyone with enough cash, connections, and good business and marketing skills can start a school. We noticed a department in a government building downtown that specializes in helping you start a new school. In between the two extremes, there is a mixture of semi-public funded/private school. University of Catolica in Temuco were we were based is one of the semi-private schools. The problem with public funding when it is given is there is a lack of strict accountability to how it is spent.

LOCE is the name of the new law.

This sign is saying NO! LOCE

As you can imagine those graduating from private schools have good test scores and are able to enter the better universities and to have a greater chance of success as they pursue their careers. The disparity magnifies as you travel further from metropolitan areas. It just does not pay to start a private school in the countryside. Middle class families make tremendous sacrifices to educate their children. For farmers and laborers in the countryside, they simply do not have the means to pay. If at all possible, they send their children to the city to live with a relative to be educated. Thus a subtle but pervasive class system prevails.
In many ways Chile is a developed country with tremendous international potential in the exportation of raw materials (assorted minerals, copper, wood) and agricultural goods (rice, fruit, fish). But in this one critical area – education –the country straddles between its future potential and unclear goals.
In this year the government has proposed a new law to fix some of these problems. Unfortunately, it does nothing to end the privatizing of education which many feel is the main source of their problems. Many Chilenos have objected to the inertia demonstrated by their leaders. In true Chileno style teachers and students have taken to the street in protest. It appears the battle will be a long one.

School of Social Work at the U of Catolica on Strike