Santiago. May, 2012.
GONZÁLEZ LÓPEZ
THE CHANGE AGENT: A FREE AND YOUNG
SAN
MAGAZINE
MARTÍN
Anti-authoritarian Education: A real solution for everyone is possible Over the years of reading and searching information about Chilean history, I've realized that our country is getting worse in terms of education. Being a teacher in Chile is difficult in many ways, they act in accordance to certain programs fixed by the government, they have to be a figure of authority for children and in top of that they receive bad salaries. Education in Chile has become in a bussines that only benefits rich people. Children have lost interest in learning because an education based on control and authoritarism makes them lost their freedom and this current educaitonal system treats them like objects only with the purpose of working as slaves for foreign companies. The real purpose of education should be the development of subjects able to think for themselves, a person with a critic thought about reality that can act in order to transform society. In the middle of the XIX century in Chile, were developed two main educational systems. In one hand, there was the formal educational system developed by the government. This system was made only for rich people and never thought for the lower class. In the other hand, the working class people developed a very interesting kind of educational system without any help of the State (the State only wanted to educate rich people). This system was based in mutual help and everybody
could help each other. With help of the Liberals (mostly masons) was possible the construction of schools in which the working class and artisans could learn to read and writes along with many other things. Then in the beginning of the XX century, working class movements appeared, along with anarchist libertarians thoughts and the first syndical organizations. Was build the Universidad de Chile and the first student’s movements appeared. In Chile the anarchist thought had a big influence in education. Soon people were able to think about the roots of their problems. Teachers, tailors, shoemakers, students, miners and most of workers were united and educated. They even redacted a new educational program that later was shown to the government. Obviously was not well received by the president and he ignore their proposal, then the government educational formal system was imposed. Was in that time when education suffered a big change. The educational system learned by artisans
and the working class in the 20's got lost and slowly became to disappear. A couple of decades later, Salvador Allende was elected. He was a big hope for education and working class, but the right-wing minority with help of the USA overthrew his government and the military started a dictatorship. Pinochet wrote a new constitution and education became a business until now. Many years passed under a “democratic” state and now people don't have fear anymore. In 2006 high school students marched for a change in education, the government solution didn't fix the problem. In 2011 students went out to the street again. In this time they were not only high school students but university and CFT students who claimed a change in education. Education as a right, not as a business. The secondary school students redacted an educational program in which they stated they wanted a deep change in education, (just like teachers in the 20's) but the government didn't care about the program obviously because they didn’t want to lose their very good business. But now that we know that we are capable to create a new kind of education, and that education would be created without any State intervention just like people tried in XIX century, so our goal is to achieve an educational system in which there's no authority but yourself, an education in which there's no a curriculum involved, an education that create subjects not objects. The current education only produces more capitalism, discrimination, selfishness and competition. Is up to you and every
one of us to change it. Together we stand divided we fall.
By Esteban López
Today, in our interview section we are going to talk with an English teacher from “La Protectora de la Infancia” school in Puente Alto, her name is Carol Soto and she is in charge of fourth and eighth grade in this school. What do you think about our educational system? -I think our educational system is not what it should be in terms of equality and cultural items. Education in our modern society must be people's right and because of high fees some people cannot get a quality education. Furthermore, because of certain freedom the school has many people are discriminated because they don't stick to a certain institution profile.
The Chilean educational system is very poor in many ways, first of all the low priority given to student's needs and the lack of participation by professionals of education at the moment of taking important decisions, also the little commitment from the state with teachers, and the poor relevancy that has acquired over the time this profession. It´s an unfair system that keeps the status quo intact and makes us be socially separated from one another. It´s also a system that make us discriminate each other, and is based on having the freedom to choose what you want only if you have the purchasing power of paying heavy sums of money. The only way to solve this is by making radical changes in our system, from the way we think to the way we act. And do you feel available to change things? I mean you are going to be a teacher, a change agent. It's difficult, but it's possible. As a teacher you don't have to allow the system to consume you. You can do different lessons in order to make your student learn and take conscience about the important issues, though it's still had because you found yourself limited by the curriculum. Although, I strongly believe that I, as a teacher, can do some changes. As I said before, it's just matter of finding a good practice inside the class, such as: make the students think, let them reflect about what they like and about what it's happening in the world.
We are young; we want to change things… It is on our veins. We, as young people must think in our culture, education, music, friends, college and try to change it! Why just minds, if we can make a real life style change? I am talking about food; it gave us an everyday energy for doing the things we like to do. I used to think on “green people” like vegetarian, as hippies. But I was wrong because it is not just the food it is your entire life and beliefs. This time I want to share with you a recipe of vegetarian food: Cauliflower Peas Curry or Gobi Mutter Curry, that I learned in my new favorite food site: http://www.vegetarianrecipes.net try out and share with your friends and family. Bon appetit! There have been quite a few requests for posting Curry recipes. I prepare quite a few varieties of Curries regularly and they are usually quite simple to prepare and even beginners to cooking can handle them well. Best of all, curries like Cauliflower Peas Curry or Gobi Mutter Curry are usually well received and appeal easily to most. I am a big fan and regular visitor of Sharmis Passion and try out many of the recipes posted there. I sourced the Gobi Mutter Curry recipe from Sharmilee’s blog and it came out really good. Recipe is quite simple and just reading the ingredients, one can guess the instructions. This one goes well with Chapati/Puri and I found it can accompany Rice too well. There is a nice aroma to the Curry, it’s not too spicy and does not have too much masala in it. Try out and let me know if you like it. Gobi Mutter Curry Ingredients:
Cauliflower or Gobi – 1 cup or 1 Small Sized Flower
Green Peas – 1/4 cup
Tomato (big-sized) – 1 pureed
Onion – 1 Finely Chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Dhaniya Powder – 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 – 1/2 tsp
Salt
Sugar – 1/4 tsp Seasoning Ingredients:
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece
Cloves – 1
Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp or Fennel Powder
Time to Prepare: 30 min How to Make Cauliflower Peas Curry: 1. Cook Cauliflower florets in a bowl containing water and a little salt for 5-8 min. Then strain
out
the
water
and
keep
aside.
Cook Green Peas in a Microwave for 5 min or cook in a pressure cooker until you hear a single whistle. 2. Heat Oil in frying pan, add the seasoning ingredients mentioned above one at a time. Then add finely chopped Onion and Turmeric Powder and saute until the Onion starts to look transparent. Then add Tomato Puree and cook for 2-3 min or until the raw smell of the Tomatoes disappears. 3. At this stage, add all powders – Red Chilli Powder, Garam Masala Powder and Dhaniya Powder, Salt. Finally add Sugar, mix well, add a little water and cook for 2 minutes. 4. Now add the cooked Green Peas and Cauliflower or Gobi from Step 1, close the lid and cook for 5 minutes or until the gravy is mixed well with the Cauliflower florets and Green Peas. By: Paola González