Education in the University of Chile: a panoramic view focused on the students

Abstract

The publication of Report on higher education in Chile: 1980-2003 and its contrast with what is happening in some province universities permits to obtain a panoramic view of higher education in Chile. In this article, we analized it, focused on the students, their socio-cultural background, the new participants of the system, the level of achievement, the inflation of grades and the necessity of making a correction of the distortions of the system. The university model developed by the University Austral, combines its private feature with a great ideological and financial autonomy. This allows us to contrast a general view with the analysis of a particular case.