Task 10: 'Chilean students return to classroom after strike'

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- A million high school students returned to classrooms Tuesday after a three-week strike wrested new education money from Chile's socialist government.

Many, however, said they were skeptical about official pledges to end inequalities in the schools.

The return to school after weeks of rowdy sit-ins and sometimes-violent marches through the capital came after a long holiday weekend in Chile and as the new government of President Michelle Bachelet launched an advisory panel to draft education reforms.

Bachelet already has pledged nearly $200 million for repairs to hundreds of dilapidated schools, as well as benefits including thousands of free school lunches and free entrance exams.

Bachelet on Tuesday met with Education Minister Martin Zilic and urged officials to "go full steam ahead and draw up the best reform plans possible for boosting the quality of our education system."

But student leaders said they were wary of the 72-member presidential advisory council she set up last week to deal with student demands for reform. Students had demanded a majority of seats, but wound up with only 12 of 72.

"We won a lot through our mobilization, but there's still a lot left to fight for," said one student organizer, Maria Jesus Sanhueza.

The students on Monday announced plans for their own commission to offer proposals for improving schools, and they warned they were ready to act if the official recommendations don't satisfy them.

"We are confident that it (the council) will function. But if it doesn't, we will be the first to respond," student organizer Karina Delfino said.

Bachelet's council has three months to recommend modifications to a law enacted by former dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet the day before his 1973-1990 government ended. It made municipalities responsible for education, leading to a gap in school quality between rich and poor areas.

The unexpectedly strong and fast-growing student strike was the first major challenge for the Bachelet government that took office March 11. She had campaigned to improve an education system that has failed to match the advances of Chile's vigorous free-market economy.

Text was taken from: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/06/13/chile.students.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Questions:
1. What do you think about the last student's strike?
2. In what way did you participate in it?
3. What do you feel with the meassures given by the government to improve Chilean education?
4. What would you say or ask President Bachelet if you are in front of her now? (In one sentence)

DEADLINE: June 17th

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello teacher.
1) first, I think that this mobilization is good, since it express feeling of most of the students , but I do not support to this
2)second, i did not participate in this mobilization, because I take the two weeks like vacations
3)third, I think that the solutions are good and that the students must wait for them with calm .
4)fourth, I to ask to her that it used something of the bottom of copper for the education, it can be a 30%

Anonymous said...

hi teacher,

1-I think that it was not the best way to let know the anhappyness of the students with respect to the education in Chile, but we have to change the awful contitucional statutory law of education, which is a a lie.
2- watching the news,knowing the reason of the strike.
3-think that they were reasonable and a good better beginning for the education.
4- do you really interests make better education in Chile or just "cumplio" to avoid but controversial in its government?

Anonymous said...

1.yo I think that the mobilization was very good and beneficial for all the students of the country 2.I came to sleep every day but towards anything
3.I do not believe that the solutions are very good and now the students must have calm and wait for what is
4.easy, so that it does not change to minister Zilic?

Anonymous said...

well i think that the strike was fine because they ask for things to make better our education even thogh i wasn't supporting them.i think that the meassures taken by the goverment are good in some way because they didn't answer the way the student wanted but after all things are better. why don't you do the schools statal?

Anonymous said...

hi professor

1.- I found very well that we fight for a better and fairrer education, although in Santiago they didn't have representatives of regions, but equal was worthwhile, later the strike you lengthens a lot and I believe that that was us in against, but they are things that happen.

2.- the truth is that I don't participate a lot and in that I am sorry.

3.- I sit down that the same government has helped us, and that we cannot sometimes demand a lot him but we should be listened and that they respond us well.

4.- he/she would ask him if a lifetime the richest children will have good studies and the poor nr.

Anonymous said...

1)i think that it was wel because with this the population met topics that seemed to be hidden and that they were taken to a table that i am for the opinion publishes.
2)supporting the organized manifestations in santiago, to inclination of the support that gave the liceo santa maria.
i come to the liceo and i was there is one week.
3)they are few the measures but it is good to hae achivied something , when getting measures.
of something should be begin and you that every year you anger increasing little by little our children will obtain in a future for what today is requested.
4)referred to the topic of the unemployment:
i have trust in that you va to improve the education of my country

Anonymous said...

1)i think that the mobilization are good,but also they destroyed a bit the center of the city ,must of be more peaceful
2)I not participated in the mobilization
3)i feel that this helped to all the student more of the that think
4) you should give more importance at education of the students

Anonymous said...

1) I think q is a movement totally I legitimize and that to partly been able to call the attention of all the different directors from other associations of the country and thus to be able to demand what they raised. 2) It does not participate 3) That they are insufficient, everything what the government raises is for long bony term that will have to hope and deseguro that when the case in future years is retaken they did not execute what it said years back. 4) Of which the university education was gratuitous, as well as other countries like Argentinean, another argument for the U. gratuitous is that the pay that the parents win he is insufficient… and annually the universities get to gain $1.700.000 by student, now by course are approx 25 students 25*$1.700.000=$42.500.000 annually by single course… serious lack like the students total of the university

Anonymous said...

1) I think that this strike was necessary because they were going to take to the students in many senses, this will not be immediately, but at least the ignited flame will be let to obtain one better quality of education.
2)I could not go to strike, but she wanted.
3)I think that when doing to take measures to the government already it is a good beginning, now is necessary to hope that these results are positive, because still nothing is safe, but equal it is necessary to continue fighting for a better future. in conclusion it is not possible to be judged the measures until they are given definitively.
4)it would say to him: “lady bachelet, so that you decided to go away of the right country when the situation was not the suitable one. This left a bad image of you. Hopefully that stops another similar situation does not leave its country and preocupese first by its country that by something chose like president leaving the country in its hands"

Anonymous said...

hellOo teachEr (: !

1.I believe that the mobilizations were by a right cause since single a worthy education is demanded and of quality. I think are not only economics causes, the problem goes beyond that.

2.With respect to this I comprised of the taking of the grammar school =) in spite of everything, I believe that it was a good experience.

3.Sincerely I believe that more could have been done. Lamentably I believe that Michelle Bachelet cannot say that there are bottoms no to improve the education in Chile because if there are them.

4.The question Mrs. Bachelet is: That it will happen with the excesses of copper if they are only occupying a minimum part of that?
I believe that it would have to give more priority him to the education in Chile since this one is the cradle of the social inequality.

Anonymous said...

1.what I think is that it was well what did,because subjects who tenian them covered so that were placed in the table of the government did not come to the light and they were not solved.

2.I could not participate in the novimiento because they did not give the permission me to be able to do it.

3.the solutions of the government until now are for seeing if the students calm but they are not the necessary ones to fix the education.

4.see the students who estan in the universities and sees whichever students has in the institutions because they could not enter the university to estidiar.

Anonymous said...

1. - I think that it was well because it was already hour of which subject 2.- was touched I came to the takings and now I am attending meetings 3.- I feel that they continue being patches so that the students remain calm. 4.- when the state goes to do something, that is worth the trouble by the education

Marcelo Valverde said...

I am ok with the acts of the student because was the moment to be made listen.
I could not take part actively in the Manifestations, so just I didn't go to classes
As everybody, maybe the measurements of the government could have been better, but if it is what can become, happily with that.
If i would say something to her, would be: "¡¿Por qué no suelta el completo y se va a atender a los estudiantes que están afuera?!

(in spanish, because she speak spanish)

Anonymous said...

HELLO TICHER MY NAME IS CLAUDIA BERRIOS...·3ºg
1º Pienso that he is but the right thing since to the students they always leave the surpluses us. And it was already hour of which dieramos it also tells ke we to us tnemos rights.

2º GO to the marches and also participates in the taking of the grammar school “Domingo sta Maria”

3º Good I think that equal they estan very giving to solutions rascas like so that we are satisfied that I think… separate the state has "MONEY" like
supporting our demands.

4º What I preguntaria him she is that “if she really estába prepared to assume this position because in this single time to had problems and to not known to solve them partly… good.

Anonymous said...

Hi Teacher!!!

First Answer:I Think What this was a good way to get the Attention of the most important people in chile to do a big change in the education quality for the students (Finally).

Second Answer: I was going to the school, but only one day ,because i dont think what this was a really seriously situation. ( Inside the School) (i dont know how can i explain it very well).

Third Answer: The meassures are good for now , but this remains to see along the time.

Fourth Answer:Hhhmmm... i dont know ...
Good Bye!

Anonymous said...

1.- I think that strike was something significant for the reason that through this the one can be changed the education and be improved that is very necessary for the future.
2.- my contribution went to attend the grammar school in taking and to support everything what they made within the grammar school
3.- the proposals that the president bachelet I believe that patches to calm the situation of the student are single so that unemployments of school of Chile are finished.
4.- my serious question:
Mrs. bachelet pongase instead of a student of low class that in the only thing which it thinks is to leave its reality?

Anonymous said...

Carla Sánchez, 3ºE.


1. I think that this strike was something pretty good, something that the students had to do. If they wanted changes, this was an excellent way to get them.
2. I must say that I didn’t participate in it. My dad forbade that to me. But I totally agreed.
3. I feel that now, students have a very important role in society, that our opinions to improve things are being more listened than in other times. It was because of students, that things changed.
4. I would say to her that improves education even more than what she did now.

Anonymous said...

Hi, (¯`_´¯)
»-»I think that whit all this, the students manage win, but this probably don't help to improve education in Chile.
»The true is that I didn't help very much.
»I don't feel anything in special.
I believe that the education will not improve very much.
»I would say: "More action and less words"

Anonymous said...

1.- i think what that strike was productive because we manage a several things
2.- in nothing
3.- I feel that it is a lie, which we are going to follow equally
4.- That when there are going to be seen the changes of her offers

Anonymous said...

oi como vai voce?

1.i think that was a important event in our country,because here in Chile we've a bad education & with it the students(we) could to show the reality,& the people can see that we're worried for our education.
2.I gived all my moral support...I was in my house,but I was kind to the news.
3.I think that was slow measures,but I hope that it work.
4.why do you think that the education problem doesn't have solution still?

Anonymous said...

1.- I think q this good the one of strike, although in our grammar school I do not improve in anything, nationally was possible to be supported much, it was already hour to demand our rights like students, and to see q united everything can.
2.- I participate very little, I went a pair of times to the taking of our grammar school, but nothing else.
3.- The measures are few, but that is better than nothing, little by little is going away to obtain but.
4.- is satisfied with which it has done until now in its government?

Anonymous said...

1-I think that was very good, since it(he,she) started himself(herself) understanding very well the petitorio of the students for which I reflect us since(as,like) we think today in day the young men.
2-do not take part in a physical way of going out to the streets or of being in the capture but if in a spiritual way giving them my support in the requests that they need from the government.
3-partly I believe that it(she) was good but I differ in the test(proof) of university selection, since I benefit the poor mas and the end(purpose) of the protest was that it(she) was igalitarian for which the pupils like me.
4- " missis chairwoman you who thinks with regard to that not all the persons of scanty resources try to continue studying and the government continues delivering them help compared it(he,she) does not help her(it) that him(her) the government delivers to the middle class "

Anonymous said...

1. I believe that it is a good form to demonstrate that we were not satisfied to little that is the government must fulfill with which it proposed

2 I went to the takings in the morning and I have left one night to support

3. he was safe that they are not ivan to give the solutions immediately but I very believe that the subject of the complete day ignore

4. when the complete days finished? xD

Anonymous said...

1-i think the last strike was hard but we (the students)received an answer
2-i participate one day in the stop of the school
3-i feel that they give the most they can
4-¿with the passage of time you continue helping the educacion?

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