Families' responses to a new centralized school admission system. School choice and justice in education

Cristián Bellei, Mariana Contreras and Fabián Guajardo

International Journal of Educational Development, 2025, vol. 113, issue C

Abstract: This study aimed to understand the practices and discourses of Chilean families regarding a new centralized school admission system (SAS). SAS employs a deferred acceptance algorithm to distribute to allocate students, after parents submit online applications ranking their preferred schools for their children. We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with parents from diverse social classes. While a minority of parents appreciated SAS for its convenience, time savings, discrimination prevention, and promotion of desegregation, many families expressed negative attitudes, associated with feelings of disqualification, disempowerment, and distrust. These sentiments led to various forms of resistance.

Keywords: School choice; Desegregation policy; Market-oriented education; School admissions; Chile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:injoed:v:113:y:2025:i:c:s0738059324002293

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2024.103202

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