Santiago de Chile, July 6 (RHC-teleSUR),--In Chile meanwhile, the Students Confederation, known as CONFECH, began a protest in the capital city of Santiago in connection with an educational reform, currently under debate in the national Congress.

The students said they will march from different areas of the city toward the La Moneda presidential palace, even though they don’t have a permit from the local authorities to protest.

Authorities rejected the student’s permit alleging proximity to another march set for July 10, which which had been previously authorized.

According to the students, the government has not shown ways in which the proposed reform would strengthen public education, or if private universities would also be subjected to the new regulations.

The Chilean Students Confederation, CONFECH, brings together students from universities all over the country, organized in federations. In the past months, 60 schools and more than 50 universities in Chile have been shut down due to national strikes against education reforms.

President Michelle Bachelet last year approved a plan to provide free university education, but the students organizations say only 14 of percent of tuition costs are covered. Bachelet has said her government will replace the current education system, which it inherited from the era of dictatorship Augusto Pinochet.