The 2006 student’s demonstrations: an answer to frustrated myths and hopes

Abstract

This paper tackles some of the social changes that affect the hope of the fulfilment of promises inscribed in the social imaginary about education, and it’s link with the 2006 students demonstrations in Chile during 2006. These promises, nowadays unaccomplished for most of the people, are part of  what, in this article is considered a myth about education,  which was condensed, in Chile, in a social discourse based in the meritocratic principle, which does not have, nowadays, the vitality it used to have. The paradox observed between the importance given by society to education (shown in the considerable increase of public investment), good results in most of the most important variables and the people’s increasing dissatisfaction with the quality of education, is explained in this paper starting from the consideration of education as a ritual practice that has lost it sense that gave origin and support, in a present society of fast and deep changes.