The Chilean Educative Experiment 20 Years Later: A Critical Glance to the Educational System

Abstract

Until recently it was difficult to find information in Chile, regarding the real results of the implemented educational politics implemented in the last 15 years. On the contrary, most of the publications in the area try to explain the design of the educational reform, its beginings and its several steps. With the publication of the “National Educational Politics: Chile” by the OCDE a whole new step in the country’s educational research is undertaken. The results of the implemented politics is brought to the discussion table. The emerging view is a contrasting one. With great advances made in some areas, and virtually none in others. This article intends to contribute to the debate. For that, and as a result of the narrowing of the object of study, an analisis of our obligatory schooling system (basic and middle school) is made leaving aside the pre-school, and higher education. The results will be discused in view of the two great transformatios of our educational system, the one that happened at the beginning of the 80’s, in a dictatorial context, and the one that has been happenig from the beginning of the 90’s with the democratic goverments.