Chile's Voucher System Stratification

Chile's Pinochet-era voucher system has created a three-tier educational apartheid that outperforms #5's ghost schools in actively worsening inequality rather than simply wasting money. Wealthy families attend elite private schools for free using government vouchers, while the poor remain trapped in underfunded public institutions receiving 30% less per pupil than voucher-funded private schools. A 2025 OECD report showed that Chilean students' socioeconomic background predicts 60% of academic outcomes, the highest correlation among member nations. The system funnels $4.8 billion annually but reinforces stratification: only 15% of low-income students achieve university eligibility, compared to 70% of high-income peers.