Santiago de Chile, January 28 (RHC-PL) -- The Chilean Government has welcomed the adoption of the education law that eliminates shared financing, regulates admission and prohibits profits in schools with state funds.

This is one of the flagship initiatives of President Michelle Bachelet’s government. Minister of Education Nicolas Eyzaguirre said that this project, in which 14,000 schools are involved, sets the principle of the students’ acceptance in all schools.

Meanwhile, Mario Venegas, President of the Education Committee and parliamentarian from the Partido Democrata Cristiano (DC), described the reform as an outstanding event for Chile.

Venegas said that with this new law, over the next two years, 730,000 children will have access to free education. In 2018, that total will be increased to 93 percent of the students and within 10 years, more than 97 percent.

The law establishes that the State will gradually introduce free education in schools subsidized or receiving permanent state funds. The students’ performance or some of their parents’ data like the education they have received, marital status and financial position, will not decide the admission of students in state schools.

Issues like socioeconomic situation, religion, disability, nationality, ethnicity and culture will not be a point to accept students.

The law will come into force on March 1, 2016 with the phasing out of co-payment, which will be replaced with increasing state subsidy.