This article is the result of research carried out in Chile between November and December 2007. It sketches a broad picture of the current Chilean educational debate studying some of the characteristics of the student mobilization in 2006 (know as the "revolt of the penguins") and its legal, political and institutional consequences in order to draw out elements for a reflection upon our own educational reality. The research procedures included a survey of official documents, bibliographic research and an analysis of material published by the media, as well as interviews with agents of the current process of political change: a leader of the student movement, an adviser to the teachers' union, a specialist from the Ministry of Education, researchers of educational policy linked to universities and other organisms and school directors. The results suggest that the current strength of the Chilean debate, rigorously focused on questioning the present educational model - considered by many analysts as highly market oriented and segmented - reveals vanguard characteristics and a fine political synchrony with the social and educational reality of the country which could end by imposing evidence, overcoming or convincing the resistant and coming to orient policies for diminishing inequalities.
Chilean educational reform; revolt of the penguins
