Curricular policy response to an educational crisis in Peru and Chile: Reflections after the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

During the health crisis of 2020 and 2021, educational systems developed multiple strategies to cope with school closures. In the cases of Peru and Chile, educational policies related to the curriculum followed the logic of reducing prescription and implementing diversified mechanisms to safeguard the continuity of education. In this context, the present study aimed to understand the purposes, criteria, and decision-making processes that characterized actions taken at the macro level. To achieve this, a multiple instrumental case study was conducted, considering both countries. Through document analysis and individual and group interviews with the policymakers involved during the mentioned period, it was found, firstly, that the purposes and criteria revealed a dichotomy between prescribing and guiding schools, as the spaces for flexibility that emerged were unprecedented. Secondly, the decision-making processes were marked by rapid adaptation and a more synergistic approach within the respective ministries. Finally, the curricular response in both cases resulted, on the one hand, in greater opportunities for teacher empowerment and, on the other, in a certain degree of distrust and misunderstanding among the teaching staff.