Neoliberalism and creation of “common sense”: educational crisis and mass media in Chile

Resumen

During the last three decades, different Chilean governments, both during Pinochet´s dictatorship
and the current democratic period, have incorporated and consolidated market mechanisms in the
functioning and management of education at different levels. The media is a central agent in the
creation of ‘common sense’ and the diffusion of hegemonic discourses throughout society. This
article analyses the educational discourse of the two main newspapers in Chile, La Tercera and El
Mercurio, during the process of debate and negotiation of the current educational act. The first
section offers a literature review of the way in which media treats education. The following
section presents the political context around which quasi-market policies were implemented in
Chile and their subsequent lost of legitimation. Finally, the third section analyses the discourse of
the media surrounding the educational crisis in Chile. In respect to this, these newspapers defend
that the quasi-market model has not yet been correctly implemented, but that those policies are
the correct ones in order to improve education. This thesis is supported by three key arguments
outlined by the media: the processes of decentralisation and transfer of autonomy to educational
agents has been insufficient; a state of imperfect competition remains between schools; and,
lastly, education has been captured by teachers and their unions, impeding the improvement of
the system.