Colombia’s universities resume classes after month-long student strike

Classes at Colombia’s public universities resumed classes Thursday after student leaders called off a month-long boycott which forced the government to withdraw proposed education reforms.

Student leaders have said that, while classes would proceed normally, they will not cancel a street protest planned in solidarity with Chilean students on Thursday next week.

Student organizations waited until Congress officially took the university reform of the legislative table Wednesday before calling an end to the national strike that began mid November and kept more than half a million students at home and mobilized tens of thousands in marches.

The resumption of classes marks the end of a month-long stand-off between the student organizations and the government about a reform to higher education legislation that according to the government would lead to an increase in accessibility of universities, but according to students would further impoverish the already poor universities and force students to take on student loans.

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