Myths and facts about the inclusion of immigrant students in Chilean classrooms: The case of writing

Abstract

The high immigration wave that Chile experienced in the last decade, has defied its largely segregated educational system. Even though Chile has subscribed the 4^th Sustainable Development Goal to ensure an equitable, inclusive and quality education, the current educational structure as well as the lack of an inter-cultural educational policy, are obstacles to ensure the right to education for all. This article aims to provide evidence on the conditions under which immigrant students learn in Chile, by analyzing their performance in writing -a potential mediator (or obstacle) for schooling -, their learning barriers (beliefs, attitudes and teacher expectations), and socio-emotional wellbeing. Our results demonstrate that immigrant students are divided in two achievement groups, which face different barriers according to their country of origin. On the one hand, students from Haiti, Bolivia and Dominican Republic are more vulnerable. On the other hand, students from Peru, Venezuela and Colombia outperform their peers in writing, have higher levels of self-esteem and self-efficiency, and teachers have greater educational expectations for them. This evidence suggests the need to inquire the intersections between language and race related to discrimination and prejudice.