A 100 años de la ley de instrucción primaria obligatoria: antecedentes, desarrollo y proyecciones

Abstract

With regard to the 100 years of the promulgation of the mandatory primary instruction law in Chile, it is intended to describe the background that led to the dictation of this law, explain the legislative development of it and understand the projections it has had. To carry out this study, a qualitative paradigm and historical methodology will be used, reviewing primary (original documents) and secondary sources (existing literature on the subject). It was found that there was a lot of resistance from conservative sectors to approve this important law, but eventually the arguments of liberal groups prevailed during the 20 years of discussion at Congress and in groups interested in the subject. The result of the promulgation of this law has meant that Chile has practically complete coverage in the school system and today has an average schooling about 10 years similar to Spain and Portugal.