Tensions in the Implementation of the School Inclusion Law in Chile: Scope and Critical Issues of the School Admission System

Abstract

The transformations promoted in Chile after the 2006 student mobilizations established inclusion and equity as central principles of education policy. In this context, the School Inclusion Law introduced changes in funding, profit, shared financing, and student selection, while the School Admission System (SAE) centralized applications to publicly funded schools. This article examines the main tensions and critical issues associated with the implementation of both policies. To this end, a narrative and documentary literature review was conducted around two thematic axes: the scope of the School Inclusion Law and the implementation of the SAE. The corpus, consisting of academic research, working papers, institutional reports, and regulatory documents published up to 2023, was analyzed through reading records, summaries, and thematic categories. The results identify four critical issues: the persistence of market and competition mechanisms; the gap between admission regulation and educational inclusion; the distributive tensions associated with reserved places for priority students; and the cultural, informational, and institutional difficulties experienced by families and school communities. The article concludes that the SAE represents progress in the public regulation of admission and in reducing schools’ discretion. However, its contribution to inclusion and the reduction of segregation depends on its coordination with policies that strengthen educational provision, reduce territorial and informational inequalities, and develop institutional capacities to respond to diversity.