CHILE: University Conflict Enters Crucial Phase

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Gustavo Gonzalez

SANTIAGO, Jun 11 1997 (IPS) - Students in Chile have paralysed the universities in an effort to regain the say in the running of the institutions robbed from them under the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship (1973-90).

The conflict has paralysed the main State universities in Chile has now entered a crucial phase as the government tries to play down the crisis while the movement shows all signs of spreading.

The Central Workers’ Union (CUT) announced it would be supporting the march by students, academics and administrative staff of the striking universities to the Education Ministry on Thursday afternoon.

According to Chilean daily “La Epoca,” the government of President Eduardo Frei came up with a “strategy” to play down the conflict, starting by wearing down the student movement in the University of Chile, the biggest in the country.

Within the framework of this strategy an important meeting of this University Council originally planned for Wednesday was delayed until Friday, as the agenda included a proposal to create a three-pronged senate body.

The students are calling for the creation of directing entities which cover all three strata of the universities: academic staff, students and administrative and service staff.

In the early seventies, the Chilean State universities were run on a system of cogovernment on these bases, but the Pinochet dictatorship wiped participatory management out of higher education.

The University of Chile Students Federation (FECH), led by the communist Rodrigo Roco, initiated a strike three weeks ago calling for 35 percent student representation on the directing bodies.

The student claims also include demands for better funding for the State universities and the replacement of the student loan system for different tariff bands and the creation of support funds for the lower income bracket.

Almost all the national student entities have answered the call, as have academic groupings from the four Santiago universities and most of their counterparts in the rest of the country.

Ivan Saavedra, head of the Co-ordinating Committee of Academics of State Universities, announced the group would also be joining Thursday’s march, along with the National Federation of the University of Chile Staff.

Jose Ortiz, vicepresident of the CUT, the biggest Chilean union group, similarly supported the university claims, which are widely seen as an effort to democratise higher education.

Several student entities from the Catholic University of Santiago – whose federation is directed by the right wing Professional Bodies Movement – are also expected to join the demonstration, even though the body does not agree with the other student unions.

The university unrest was also seen in four private universities and in one of them, the Diego Portales University, the students have already been granted participation in the collegiate management bodies.

Meanwhile, in the capital, the Chile, Santiago, Metropolitan Science and Education and Metropolitan Technology Universities, all State entities, have been completely paralysed.

Roco told Santiago newspaper “La Epoca” the suspension of the University Council meeting to Friday was part of an attempt to wear down the student movement, classing the situation as very serious, for the stance taken will now become much tougher.

The FECH leader insisted the rector of the University of Chile, Doctor Jaime Lavados – elected by a senate totally made up of academics – hand in his resignation.

President Eduardo Frei said last week the government respected the independence of the universities and would not intervene directly in the conflict, while Education Minister, Juan Pablo Arellano, rejected proposals to increase the budget.

The Frei declaration was not accepted by the student, academic and administrative organisations, who demanded a formal commitment to the funding and democratisation of the State Universities from the government.