Abstract
Socioeconomic segregation continues to be a central issue for education systems in which market‐driven reforms have been implemented. This study analyses trends of socioeconomic segregation in Chile (1999–2018), considering a period with an absence of policies aimed at reducing segregation (1999–2007) and a later stage (2008–2015) when measures were implemented with the potential to affect the socioeconomic composition of schools. Results show that the segregation of both disadvantaged and wealthy students increased to extremely high levels during the first period, and has not shown signs of any significant decrease since then. The slight reduction observed in the second period is associated with changes regarding school fees in the private subsidised education sector rather than the selectivity status of the schools. The challenges faced in fostering greater socioeconomic integration within a market‐driven educational system are discussed in this article.
Highlights
The separation of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds into different schools has been a long-standing concern in the educational arena, due to its effects on student achievement both in the short and the long term (van Ewijk & Sleegers, 2010; Bifulco et al, 2011; Carrell et al, 2018)
The findings of this study shed light on the relationship between the levels of socioeconomic segregation of students and institutional features that may accentuate the separation of social groups in a market-driven educational system
This section analyses how socioeconomic segregation has changed over time and to what extent this phenomenon is associated with private educational provision, co-payment and student admission policies
Summary
The separation of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds into different schools has been a long-standing concern in the educational arena, due to its effects on student achievement both in the short and the long term (van Ewijk & Sleegers, 2010; Bifulco et al, 2011; Carrell et al, 2018). It observes the evolution of segregation in Chile over two decades, enabling us to understand the changes and continuities regarding the stratification of the educational system and shedding light on its association with different periods of policy enactment.1 In addition to providing updated and detailed information regarding the second period, this study provides a clear picture of the situation before the implementation of a new major reform regarding co-payment, student selection and profit, which started a gradual rollout in 2015.2 Second, it shows segregation trends at the national level and by type of school, but according to some of the factors that previous literature has identified as helping to exacerbate segregation within a school-choice framework.
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