US embassy cable - 05SANTIAGO1800

UNCLAS SANTIAGO 001800 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, SCUL, PREL, CI, CODEL 
SUBJECT: CODEL COLEMAN MEETS WITH EDUCATION MINISTER BITAR 
 
REF: SANTIAGO 1745 
 
1.  CODEL Coleman (SFRC Western Hemisphere Chairman Senator 
Coleman and Senator Martinez and Representative Miller) met 
with Chilean Education Minister Sergio Bitar in the 
Minister's office on Thursday, August 25.  Ambassador Kelly, 
DCM Yamauchi, and members of the respective staffs were 
present. 
 
2.  Senator Coleman asked Minister Bitar about Chile's plans 
to improve education, particularly with regard to English 
language instruction.  The Minister responded that the pace 
of technological change was creating the need for an 
increasingly educated population. As a result, education for 
the first time was moving to the forefront of the Chilean 
Government's agenda.  He noted that the government had taken 
on the teacher's unions and pointed to newly created teacher 
competency testing programs.  The Minister stated that the 
Chilean government has a series of priorities -- health care 
reform, justice reform as well as infrastructure and 
telecommunications improvements - that all require a level 
of English proficiency.  He hoped that most students would 
speak English in ten years, but added that Chile would need 
volunteer teachers from outside the country to help achieve 
this goal. 
 
3.  Senator Coleman noted his subcommittee oversees the 
Peace Corps, and that the "Peace Corps represents the best 
face of the American People."  He promised to speak to 
Director Vasquez to support the ongoing bilateral 
discussions leading toward a return of the Peace Corps to 
Chile to teach English.  Senator Martinez added that he, 
too, was thrilled by Minister Bitar's vision of a bilingual 
Chile and observed that the United States is itself an 
increasingly bilingual country.  Representative Miller added 
his thanks to the Minister for the commitment to English and 
for his bold move to challenge Chile's teacher's unions. 
The Minister thanked the CODEL for its support for a Peace 
Corps presence in Chile and concluded the meeting with his 
thoughts on parental involvement in the educational process. 
 
4.  CODEL Coleman did not have the opportunity to review 
this cable before leaving Santiago. 
 
Kelly