Chilean school system met with controversy
When conversing with each other for the first time, many American college students ask "Did you attend private or public school?" It is an inquiry as customary as “where are you living on campus?” Thus, many students respond with just a few words, and their conversations proceed to different subjects. But if you ask a Chilean university student about the administration of their primary and secondary education, the response will not be brief, and you might even find yourself listening to a manifesto. The reason for this complication is that “all the primary and high schools in Chile are private,” said Chilean native, Francisco. That is not to say there are no public schools. Public schools exist in name, but a Chilean public school does not receive funding through citizens’ taxes and receives very little in the form of federal funds. Therefore, students from kindergarten to 12th grade must pay tuition every year in order to attend school, no matter what school they attend. The only types of governmental assistance offered to the guardians of students are subsidies that do little to lower the cost of primary and secondary education significantly. “The basic cost of a Chilean (primary and secondary) education is 1.8 million pesos (approximately $3,715 USD) per year.
