A/HRC/35/24/Add.1 and Educational Registry at the University of Chile. The examination is open to all graduates of secondary education, but the results are largely dependent on the cumulative effects of accessing primary and secondary education at various degrees of quality, leaving behind most vulnerable groups. 42. Moreover, universities seek out government accreditation, in some cases through unreliable means as the accreditation gives access, inter alia, to student loans and grants, which in turn allow the university to increase enrolment and thus expand the chances of making a profit. Accreditation has sometimes been granted for one or two years only, allowing the institution to charge fees for the duration of a university course beyond accredited years. If no accreditation is granted for the forthcoming years, universities are compelled to close, having collected fees for future studies and leaving students in debt and with no academic institution in which to continue their studies. 43. The issue of access to education as a right came to the centre of the national debate in the wake of the massive student protests and public demonstrations that took place in 2006 and in 2011 against Chilean privatized education, which has resulted in gross inequities in education. Most of the students’ demands targeted issues concerning the legal possibility of making a profit from education at all levels and the need to alleviate the burden on families, particularly that posed by financing university studies. 44. At the time of the Special Rapporteur’s visit, the higher education reforms were still being shaped. They are expected to provide quality assurance and a new accreditation system, create public institutions and modify the financing scheme for research, development and innovation. The Special Rapporteur trusts that the reforms will include a participatory process and that, when adopted, they will increase institutional capacity to absorb the growing number of students and will improve the quality, capacity and funding of higher education institutions. 45. During his visit, the Special Rapporteur learned of a commendable decision by the Government to expand the public higher education system and open two new public universities in regions that do not currently have one: Aysén and O’Higgins. D. Technical and vocational education and training and skills development 46. There are few accredited establishments in Chile that provide technical and vocational education, 12 among other reasons because they are unable to access State funding. The system for accessing public funds for technical education establishments and students was designed with a university-centred education in mind. Therefore, requirements to access those funds are not compatible with the needs and abilities required in technical and vocational education. As a result, it has been difficult for those establishments to access State funding and for their students to achieve the university-like performance required to access grants and loans. 47. The Government recognizes that technical and professional education is key to sustainable development for building a better future. Quality and relevance, linked with the productive and social environment and the social value of professional and technical education, are three pillars of action of the reform in that sector of strategic importance. 48. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the decision to expand technical higher education by opening 15 public technical education centres, one in each region of Chile. That fills the current gap in tertiary level public education. It shows that the Government is committed to fostering high-quality professional technical education that empowers its beneficiaries for individual and social transformation. According to the law adopted in March 2016 for establishing the centres, each one will be linked to a public university with institutional 12 According to official data, virtually all the existing technical training centres, both professional institutes and technical training centres, are private. There are only 7 such establishments that are accredited and non-profit, representing a marginal proportion of the 50 tertiary education establishments, including universities, that currently exist in Chile. 9