• In order to have feedback from her European peers, Claudia Córdoba, professor at the Department of Education of Universidad de Santiago, presented the progress of her study “Analysis of the school socioeconomic segregation in primary education” (Fondecyt Initiation Project 11130149) at Universitá degli Studi di Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy) and at the Complutense University of Madrid (Madrid, Spain). The study analyses the socioeconomic segregation in geographically close schools, considering residential segregation, family preferences, and the barriers imposed by schools with regard to payments and student selection.

In September, Claudia Córdoba, professor at the Department of Education of Universidad de Santiago de Chile presented the progress of her research study “Analysis of the school socioeconomic segregation in primary education (Fondecyt Initiation Project 11130149)” at two European universities.

Her first presentation was at Universitá degli Studi di Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), on September 21^st, and then she showed her work at the Faculty of Education of the Complutense University of Madrid (Madrid, Spain), on September 24^th.

On both occasions, she presented the progress of her work in the context of the project that she leads, receiving feedback and suggestions for its continuation.

The study is focused on the phenomenon of socioeconomic segregation in geographically close schools, considering three concurrent factors: residential segregation, family preferences, and the barriers imposed by schools with regard to payments and student selection.

“Doubtlessly, in our country, the phenomenon of school segregation is stronger than in countries like Italy and Spain; however, it is always interesting to appreciate that some dynamics can also be noticed in school systems which are very different from the Chilean one,” Professor Córdoba said.

In this regard, some Spanish professors said that, in their country, it is possible to notice big differences in the social composition of the student body of public schools, even when they are geographically close.

In the case of Italy, the families there also seek to ensure that their children learn some skills that can give them an advantage over their peers (learning English, for example), and that it is possible to see big differences in the socioeconomic composition of the student body in different types of high school.

Some of the preliminary results were particularly interesting, For example, the fact that children in Santiago seem to travel much longer distances than the ones travelled by children in Madrid or Cagliari.

Translated by Marcela Contreras