When removing barriers for choice is not enough: unpacking working-class children's cartographies of school choice in Chile

New regulations on school choice have been increasingly implemented in education systems to address equity concerns. However, empirical studies on their capacity to alter segregation dynamics associated with school choice remain limited. Using a child-centred perspective, this article explores working-class children's cartographies of school choice following a policy reform aimed at removing barriers to choice and reducing segregation in Chile. Through a sociological lens and a mixed-methods approach, we investigate how 8th-grade students define, experience, and negotiate their secondary school options. Despite the apparent expansion of choice brought about by the reform, our findings highlight the enduring influence of social class and geography in shaping children's schooling decisions and the symbolic strategies they employ to navigate the unequal educational landscape. We contribute to addressing the underrepresentation of children's voices in school choice research and discuss the challenges faced by the new regulations in disrupting segregation dynamics associated with school choice.