How integration changed us: The long-term impact of socio-economic school integration

Abstract

This paper examines the life trajectories of low-income children who, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, were integrated into Saint George’s College, an elite private school in Santiago, Chile. Utilizing primarily qualitative methods, this study focuses on the retrospective experiences and perceptions of former students. It investigates the outcomes for low-income students who attended Saint George’s as part of a socio-economic integration program, which has inspired both a film and recent policy debates on reforming Chile’s national school choice system. Findings indicate a significant perceived impact on educational attainment and social mobility for former low-income students, primarily through transformed aspirations, as well as positive experiences for elite students entailing broadened social perspectives, empathy, and greater commitment to equity in social and political spheres. The study discusses theoretical contributions and policy implications related to aspirations formation, the social composition of schools, and the role of social integration in elite educational settings.