Abstract

Various organizations and countries have made it a priority to encourage children and young people to complete their secondary education as a guarantee of equity. However, the value of education is being questioned because it does not ensure opportunities, even with the current advances in public policies to ensure access and permanence in education for the entire population. For this reason, approaching schools and studying the relevance they attribute to the completion of secondary education is fundamental. This qualitative research sought to analyze the importance given by four public schools in Valparaíso (Chile) to the completion of fourth grade (the last level of secondary education in this country). In each school, the management team, teachers, support professionals, students and their families were interviewed. A total of 57 interviews were obtained. The information was analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that graduating from high school is transcendental because: (1) it develops and mobilizes skills, (2) it improves job opportunities, (3) it favors access to higher education, (4) it allows the elaboration of a happy life project, and (5) it constitutes a source of personal self-realization. These reasons, taken together, allow us to recognize that education is still perceived as a tool for equity and social inclusion.

Keywords secondary education; school dropout; Chile