Intercultural Schools? Tensions and Challenges in Addressing Cultural Diversity in Chile

Abstract

This study analyzes the practices developed by public schools in the Metropolitan Region of Chile to address cultural diversity from the perspectives of inclusion and interculturality. The research emerges within a context characterized by the sustained increase of the migrant population in the country and the challenges this poses for educational communities. From a qualitative perspective and through a multiple case study design, the experiences and practices of 15 municipal schools with high proportions of migrant students and elevated levels of school vulnerability were explored. Data were produced through in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with school leadership teams, teachers, and students. The analysis was carried out through thematic coding supported by Atlas.ti software, considering three analytical dimensions: institutional management, curricular adaptation, and school coexistence and community. The findings reveal significant progress in the institutional recognition of cultural diversity, particularly through the incorporation of inclusion and interculturality principles into institutional educational projects and the implementation of welcoming strategies for migrant students. However, important tensions persist regarding the weak institutionalization of intercultural practices, the predominance of fragmented and voluntarist initiatives, curricular limitations, and gaps in teacher training. Furthermore, many initiatives continue to focus on symbolic and folklorized dimensions of cultural diversity without promoting substantial transformations in pedagogical and relational practices. The study concludes that the schools analyzed demonstrate incipient progress toward the construction of inclusive and intercultural educational communities; nevertheless, significant structural, institutional, and formative challenges remain for consolidating systematic processes of educational transformation.