Realismo sin renuncia: manifestaciones estudiantiles y política de gratuidad en la educación superior en Chile

Abstract

Between 1990 and 2017 two intense cycles of student protest actions were developed in Chile. Students demanded democratization and participation (political matrix) and student funding (socio-economic matrix), in a context of chronic resource deficit and intensive massification of enrolment (first cycle). They also reported the deficient quality of education, its high economic cost and financial indebtedness; requesting for free, quality and non-profit education as a social right (socio-cultural matrix) (second cycle). However, the interests of the area have only allowed the introduction of adjustments for the improvement of the prevailing model, revealing its great capacity to translate student discomfort into its favour.