In the past week\u00a0our readings were more concentrated on elite schools in Chile, and our group completed the interview\/transcribing phase of our research. \u00a0(Side note: transcribing sucks.) \u00a0Through all of the conversations with the Kostas, the homogeneity (as many have noticed) was\u00a0extremely apparent in a few ways. \u00a0Kostas, a few times, referred to the general opinion of the school in regard to current events. \u00a0He spoke his opinion on behalf of the school as a whole. \u00a0Additionally, he articulated a favoritism by the teachers for students who mirror their opinions and values on various topics discussed in and out of class. \u00a0In this way, I would imagine that students are subtly encouraged to express their similarities to the teachers\/administration, and discouraged from dissenting, in attempt to receive\u00a0certain benefits from teachers and the school.<\/p>\n
Eduardo Cavieres Fernandez’s article, Rethinking the Role of Elite Private Schools in a Neoliberal Era: an example from Chile<\/em> explains the way in which the\u00a0neoliberalism has\u00a0lead to an increase in the privatization of schools across Chile, consequently causing public schools to fall behind.\u00a0 While this is all going on, he also discusses the recent increase in income per capita in Chile. \u00a0However, this point is only relevant if you also look at the fact that wealth has become increasingly more concentrated, meaning that while there may an increase income per capita overall, there is a greater divide between the elite social class and the lower working classes. \u00a0Then, when you take into consideration that some\u00a0of the private schools, including the Croft\u00a0School we are studying, do not grant financial aid to students, attending the increasing number of private schools\u00a0in Chile becomes a privilege that not many can afford.<\/p>\n So there is this massive gap in the availability of these elite schools, which was also articulated by Kostas\u00a0we interviewed who essentially told us that, in connection with the lack of financial\u00a0aid at his school, most families in Chile send their children to the best school that they can afford. \u00a0This concept turns the educational system into\u00a0a stratification of wealth in and of itself.<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/global-elites\/files\/2016\/11\/too-much-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"200-1\"](\"http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/global-elites\/files\/2016\/11\/200-1-300x127.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"brainwash-logo-big1\"](\"http:\/\/web.colby.edu\/global-elites\/files\/2016\/11\/brainwash-logo-big1-219x300.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n