On Monday, university admission tests were disrupted by protesting students who blocked the entrance to exam sites and rushed inside to burn exam papers and damage classroom furniture, the Reuters news agency reported.
"We will continue to fight against market education and for a country where poor and working-class children can study without competition or segregation", the Chilean Coordinating Assembly of Secondary Students (ACES) said.
The protests occurred near the exam centres in the country's capital city of Santiago, and in several other cities including Valparaiso and Calama.
Valparaíso, Chile: A high school protest against the PSU test (Chile's standardized college admissions test).https://t.co/CPQQuNCMwJ
— midnucas (@midnucas) January 6, 2020
Brutal represión a estudiantes secundarixs de #Iquique que se movilizan en contra de la #PSU2020 #NoMasPSU
— JJCC Iquique (@jotaiqq) January 6, 2020
Prueba segregadora, que no mide habilidades ni aptitudes, solo aumenta más la desigualdad. pic.twitter.com/vl8tWuzfsm
According to Chilean Minister of the Interior and Public Security Gonzalo Blumel, police have detained 81 protesters for vandalizing exam centres' property and public disorder.
Previously, the local government said that they had suspended university entrance exams in 64 out of 700 exam centres in Chile, aiming at ensuring the safety of students, staff and exam materials.
The student protests are taking place amid broader demonstrations that began in mid-October in response to a spike in transportation costs. They subsequently led to larger protests against economic and social policies and resulted in unrest.
