Neoliberalism and school inequality in the Chilean education system: an analysis from the voices of lower-class, middle-class, and upper-class students

The global reforms undertaken in recent decades have tended to structure education systems according to a market logic, one of the consequences of which has been the increased spread of school segregation and inequality. The Chilean case is globally paradigmatic in this matter. This study explores and analyzes perceptions of segregation and educational inequality among secondary school students from different socio-economic backgrounds, as well as their assessments of the fairness of this situation. Using a qualitative methodological approach, biographical interviews were conducted with 35 students. The results reveal a widespread awareness of segregation and inequality within the Chilean school system and a tendency to interpret these phenomena as unjust. The study discusses the implications of these perceptions, particularly in relation to the expansion of the meritocratic ideal and its impact on the erosion of social cohesion.