University access and graduation within the framework of Inclusion Policies.

Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia y Uruguay (2000-2018)

Abstract

The general objective of this research is "Study the enrollment and graduation in the Universities of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay, in light of the national policies of democratization of education, from the year 2000 to 2018".  Some authors argue that educational equity should ensure the entry, permanence, and graduation of all members of a society, addressing previous inequalities of all kinds that limit people's ability to take advantage of the availability of educational institutions. ESU (Silva Laya & Rodríguez Fernández, 2012). In the last eighteen years, important government and university efforts have been made in each country to improve coverage, quality, and equity in access; National systems have implemented innumerable inclusion policies. These policies have influenced access to ESU, although to a lesser extent in retention and graduation. The countries that present restrictions in access to ESU, with different selection measures, are the ones with the highest graduation indicators (Brazil, Chile, and Colombia), while the free access policies (Argentina and Uruguay) achieve lower graduation percentages.