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

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.