Institutional tensions and practices in the approach of death at school: a study of three cases in Chile

Abstract

When speaking about vital experiences, death seems not to be part of life. People neither speak nor educate for death. However, the 2020 health crisis has made it a crucial issue, and educational institutions must educate for it. This research addresses death at school from the perspective of different educational actors. School teachers, principals, parents and guardians from kindergarten to 6th grade from three educational communities were interviewed to learn how they approach death. The results show the transversality of death, but, at the same time, several institutional practices mediated by the professional capital of educational institutions, their greater or lesser adherence to the faith, and their socioeconomic level. Also, different tensions are detected, such as the lack of teacher training on this issue, the lack of shared visions and guidelines for action to guide educational communities.