By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Thousands of Argentine students and teachers recently marched to the presidential palace to protest the quality of Argentina’s public education system and to commemorate student deaths in the 1970’s.

The demonstration, called the “Night of the Pencils,” is held annually to honor students kidnapped and killed during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship.  During the dictatorship, many students in Buenos Aires province who were rallying for free public transportation, and other benefits, were murdered.

Students carried a giant model of a pencil on their shoulders like a coffin and crosses symbolizing the deaths.  

This year’s protest occurred amidst the widespread cry for educational reform.  For the three weeks prior to the Night of the Pencils rally, Argentine high school students have occupied 30 different schools to demand infrastructure improvements.  The students’ criticisms include, a lack of heating gas, poor electrical systems, leaky ceilings and broken windows, among other problems.

As a show of solidarity to the students, Argentine teachers have planned a two-day strike to demand better pay.  It is estimated that the strike will put 700,000 students out of school.

Itai Hagman, president of the Buenos Aires University Federation, stated that “[f]or a long time, years, decades, a policy of cutting funding to public education has been carried out and this policy has reached such an extreme that the conditions needed to study almost do not exist.”

During the march, several students were seen burning the effigy of Buenos Aires’ mayor, Mauricio Macri, and drawing graffiti messages on the city hall building criticizing the conservative mayor.  The students also littered city hall with eggs. 

Macri characterized the protest as merely political and warned the striking teachers that they would have their pay docked for missing days.

Early in the 20th century, Argentina had a public education system considered a model for Latin America that assured most citizens access to free schooling. That education system came under fire during Argentina’s dictatorship and was later subjected to financing cuts under market-oriented democratic governments.

“Unfortunately we have been very patient over the years, but out patience is over. We want practical solutions,” said Hagman.

For more information, please see:

The Associated Press – Students Protest Education in Argentine Capital – 17 September 2010

Latin American Herald Tribune – Argentine Teachers, Students March in Public-education Protest – 15 September 2010

deepdishwavesofchange.blogspot.com – Argentina: Classes in the Streets as Students Protest – 14 September 2010