ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION<br/> <br />STORY: Thousands of Chilean students returned to the streets Thursday (August 23) as they stepped up their stand-off with the government demanding widespread education reform in the South American country.<br/> <br />There were a number of splinter protests in Santiago. Police fired tear gas and water cannons to break up one of the protests in the capital city.<br/> <br />The demonstrators, mostly high school students, responded by hurling rocks and other projectiles at police officers and the large water cannon trucks that sprayed them down.<br/> <br />Students also created roadblocks that police quickly moved in to try and dismantle.<br/> <br />Students recently radicalised their protests after they accused Chilean President Sebastian Pinera of failing to hear their calls for sweeping education reform and free college education.<br/> <br />Students also accuse the right-wing government of allowing the wealthy right to control the debate over education funding.<br/> <br />Public school students and teachers say privileged, private schools receive government funds that would be better served in improving the public school system.<br/> <br />Students want the education system to be in the hands of the central government instead of local municipalities as they have been since the 1973-1990 Augusto Pinochet dictatorship.<br/> <br />Chilean students have been locked in incessant protests for over a year, often scuffling with police as they call for a free and universal education system.<br/> <br />Last year, hundreds of high schools and universities were occupied for months leading to many students losing the academic year because of the widespread protests.
