Red Hot ‘Chile Winter’. (Photo Report)
Inside a three-year-long protest of Chilean students for the education equality.
We are Students! Not Clients!
Chilean Winter — student protest movement for education reforms from 2011–2013.
It’s hard to give a good future for your kids in Chile. It’s hard because the only possibility for your child to have a bright future is to get education. In order to afford education, though, you have to pay — and you have to pay a lot. Recent statistics say that only 45% of Chilean kids go to free-of-charge public schools. While the rest 55% are paying big sums of money and no university in country is free. On top of all that, there is no efficient government programme to support the families that cannot afford to pay for the education of their children.
Injustice is the core of any protest. It was also the core reason why many young Chileans started mass and violent protests against their government for equality in education for all. The whole protest movement lasted three years (2011–2013) with 1,800 protesters were arrested and over 500 police injured. One student protester was killed.
Mind the GAP between the RICH and POOR.
#1
Could it get even more unfair to a Chilean parent? Unfortunately, yes. Chile has one of the best education systems in Latin America. The problem is that only rich can get it. “Enjoy the fruits of the best education in Latin America boy, because you are rich…! Oh you are poor? Then be happy if you don’t end up at the streets with criminal gangs!”
The large gulf of inequality between the rich and poor is considered as one of the key reasons why students went on the streets.
#2
Others blame the previous government of Michelle Bachelet, who didn't fulfil the promises in 2006, when people went on the streets for the same reasons. That wave of protests were labelled as ‘Penguin Revolution’ named after the colour of student uniforms.
#3
Other blame the civic movements that became popular in Chile after long struggle of the population against military dictators such as Augusto Pinochet.
Has Chilean Winter become Chilean Summer?
God hears the person who speaks. ~ Chilean Proverb.
If you don’t ask — you don’t get. The Chilean Winter has pushed Chilean government for reforms. The coincidence is that precisely today, when Homeland is not a Series decided to make a photo report on Chilean Winter a very important announcements were made by Chilean government.
“The [current] government now aims to enact this promised program inspired by the claims of the 2011 student movement: public, free and quality education, starting the gradual elimination of university tuition.
Thus, since March of this year, 50% of the poorer students will access superior education without tax in the state universities and some private universities willing to accept the government’s conditions of public funding. At the end of this government’s term in 2018, the expectation of the Secretary of Education is that free education will be extended to 70% of students in the same institutions.” 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Homeland is not a Series would like to thank a Chilean photographer Alejandro Bonilla for his stunning photographs.
Check his work on his INSTAGRAM and FLICKR.
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