By Lida Prypchan
I recently had the opportunity to visit a country, a city, to be more specific, whose educational system really caught my attention for being so peculiar: its University stopped its activities for a period of six months due to a strike and resumed its activities over the next six months. Although the university calendar included classes for the whole year, problems gradually began to arise.
A few times because there was no budget, other times because although there was a budget, the employees were on strike, and other times because the budget arrived but strangely would disappear. Recently, after striking for three months, when the students thought it was time to restart their classes, strange confrontations occurred: one day, a struggle began between police and students and then another. In the latter, a young man who never wanted to be involved in the University’s problems was wounded by a bullet and by the next day he had already died. They began to blame the government, especially the governor of this city, who according to the students had been the main promoter of a confrontation that had no reason for occurring.
Meanwhile, the students full of anger and pain created a monument to summarize what happened on that day when their classmate died. What a shame you haven’t seen it! It was a burned police patrol car, with ropes from end to end, from which little black balls were strung that are called tear gas canisters, but most impressive was what was on the back of the patrol car: an urn that seemed to be the gift of a humane and compassionate man who had nothing to do with the event. Above the urn was a photograph where two men appeared: one thin and one robust, both smiling.
Upon seeing them, from their appearance I thought that they might be politicians, especially given the way they smiled, which wasn’t smiling but instead a stretching of the lips.
Meanwhile, the problems in the University of that city continue and it appears that they will not cease until the governor who the students blame is removed.
Problems will continue and the situation will become unbearable, but I doubt that they’ll be able to achieve justice with the people related to the government.
It is peculiar, but that is the way it is: the laws appear to have been made for those who lack influence; those who are protected by power, especially in the country I visited, have nothing to fear and can use their position to do what they please.
