From Classroom to Streets: The Effect of Schools on Political Participation Among Chilean Youth

During the past 20 years, students in Chile have taken center stage in several political demonstrations. In this study, we explore the effects of school-related variables on youth political participation using administrative data on school attendance during protests in October 2019 and survey data from the 2016 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS). We use the loss of school attendance as a proxy for youth participation in political mobilization. Our results show that openness in classroom discussions at school has a positive association on conventional and non-conventional (legal) political participation. On the other hand, a respectful school environment and parental participation in school activities are associated with a lower attendance loss. Overall, our findings suggest that schools can help prevent illegal forms of political participation, provided that there is a good school environment. Our results highlight the importance of considering the formal and hidden curricula when studying the effect of schools on political participation.