Social inclusion: views of teachers and parents about the social mixture in their schools

Abstract

The article presents the results of a research that inquired into the opinions of teachers and parents of six schools that have a relative social mix among the students. Based on interviews, they expressed their dispositions towards social inclusion, evidencing their sense of justice, their fears, and the conditions that shape their subjectivities around the issue. It is proposed that opinions on the desirability of working in schools with social mix express subjectivities in tension. On the one hand, teachers and parents recognize that socio-economic and academic selection ensures less conflictive school environments; on the other, they understand that living with children of different social classes has positive effects for a comprehensive and citizenship education. The ambivalences and tensions of their discourses express the dilemmas faced by the desegregation processes of the school system in Chile.