Abstract

This article aims to highlight the tensions faced by teachers in developing care practices at school. The research methodology used was based on qualitative epistemology. In 2022, indepth interviews were conducted with nine teachers (men and women) from primary and/or secondary schools in the Valparaiso region (Chile) belonging to schools under different administrative authorities. The interviews were analyzed using content analysis techniques. The analysis, assisted by NVivo13 qualitative analysis software, revealed the macro-category "The Careless School". The main results highlight tensions such as work exhaustion, lack of recognition by administrators, and the predominance of individualistic dynamics that reinforce a competitive and hierarchical school culture among teachers, which affects the construction of spaces and bonds of care in schools. The implications of this research place care as an institutional problem. Therefore, in order to move towards authentic and effective care, schools-as institutions-need to recognize this as part of a common purpose, promote relationships of mutual care among teachers, recognize the plurality of needs, and deploy an equitable distribution of power.