Preparing Teachers for Social Justice in the Context of Education Policies that Deepen Class Segregation in Schools: The Case of Chile

Abstract

This chapter asks what it means to prepare teachers for social justice in a highly class-segregated education system, with Chile as an example. We begin with a discussion of the context of Chile, where social-class segregation of schools has increased because of the market-driven model that has been implemented over the last 40 years. We critique education policies that both create and attempt to address the segregation of schools and teacher-education programs. Then, we develop a conceptual framework for educating teachers about social justice that connects multiple forms of diversity and oppression. Using our conceptual framework, we analyze in detail the current state of research about preparing teachers in Chile for social justice, particularly research focused on relationships between teachers and parents in vulnerable communities. Based on this analysis, we make recommenda-tions for preparing teachers to work productively with children in poverty and to work collaboratively with their parents.