OAS calls for better access to education

The Organization of American States (OAS) on Tuesday called on the Chilean government to improve access to and quality of higher education in the South American country. More funding can help "low income youngsters receive enough quality education needed to compete for admission to better universities," said OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza in remarks broadcast live via the local Radio Agriculture. Insulza weighed in on the issue following massive student protests in Chile in recent months. Since May this year, over 100,000 high school and college students in Chile have held nation-wide protests, the largest since the country returned to democratic rule in 1990. The student demanded more direct state participation in secondary education and an end to profiteering in higher education. The OAS secretary general believed the protests aimed "to substantially improve Chile's public education, middle school and the high school system, in order to give qualified and competitive education to the population." "Financing 1 million students' public education is not possible, but there are certainly possibilities to offer cheaper education or even free education to the ones that deserve it but cannot afford it," said Insulza. According to Insulza, Chile's education crisis has to do with the "rising demands" of a country that is growing, and quality in education has become an important issue that must be dealt with along with inequality in education. The Chilean authorities warned this week that students risked losing the academic year because of the ongoing protests and funding issues. However, they also reassured their support for the movement until a lasting solution is found.