Educating without exclusion: Advances and challenges in inclusion and equity in Chile’s higher education system

Abstract

Multiple regulatory reforms aimed at improving equity and inclusion in Chile’s higher education system have yielded mixed results to date. This study critically examined the coherence, scope and underlying tensions within public policies, laws and institutional programmes that promote inclusion in higher education, focusing particularly on how these initiatives are coordinated across multiple levels. A qualitative study based on documentary analysis was conducted, employing an analytical model centred on the dimensions of structural context, regulatory framework, public policies, institutional implementation, student experience and outcomes. The corpus consisted of laws, state programmes, ministerial guidelines and institutional documents. The analytical procedure involved four phases: open coding, axial coding, thematic synthesis, and theoretical triangulation. The results show considerable progress in terms of regulations and access, but weak systemic coherence and the persistence of marked inequalities regarding student retention, academic support, accessibility, and governance. The effectiveness of inclusive policies depends heavily on institutional capacity, and differences in institutional capacity create disparities among students based on socioeconomic background, ethnicity, and disability status. In short, inclusion in Chilean higher education is more rhetorical than substantive. To address these shortcomings, the following measures are required: comprehensive policies; dedicated financing; mandatory standards; and evaluation mechanisms. All of these measures must coherently integrate the macro, meso, and micro levels of the system.