School Permanence Through Migrant Perspectives

Insights from Chilean Secondary Education Communities

Abstract

This article explores the meanings attributed to the school permanence of migrant students from two Chilean state high schools based on the narratives of the students, their families, and diverse education stakeholders. A qualitative phenomenological approach is employed to identify three interpretative categories: permanence as a promise for the future, as a practice sustained over time, and as a relational experience anchored in affective bonds. The findings allow us to understand permanence not merely as statistical data but as a complex experience that shapes migrant trajectories, school relationships, and life projects in highly vulnerable educational contexts.