Abstract

The work analyzes the trends of the public budget of Education in Chile in the period 1999-2018, identifying the evolution followed, specifying its changes and recurrences based on the main educational macro policies implemented, dimensions scarcely studied from the policy itself. The analysis is performed from the statistical processing of the budget items and their consolidation over time. It concludes by establishing a relationship between the various sociopolitical milestones experienced by the country in this period, their impact on educational budget proposals, and the magnitude of some policies, showing that beyond technical aspects, education budgets are – in essence – a key instrument of public policy. The analysis confirms the weight that the social and student movements had in the educational policies implemented and the financial provision by the Ministry of Education.