Objective:

The educational policies on diversity outreach in Chile prescribe a medical model focused on the diagnosis of Special Educational Needs (SEN). This paper aims at reflecting SEN assessment in the Chilean context and the possible reasons that would explain the overrepresentation of Mapuche students in school integration programs.

Methods:

A literature review of empirical and theoretical research on SEN assessment and the overrepresentation of minority students in special education was carried out. A search for scientific articles was conducted in Google Scholar, Scopus and SciELO, as well as for government documents on the website of the Chilean Ministry of Education.

Result:

The findings reveal three possible reasons for the overrepresentation, which are linked to the subsidized educational model of the Chilean school system, the use of evaluation criteria and standardized tests based on the framework of the dominant culture, a monocultural curriculum, and ethnic prejudice against Mapuche students.

Conclusion:

The challenge is to advance in the development of empirical studies that address the overrepresentation of Mapuche students as an object of study in order to understand the problem in its entirety and complexity, and to advance as a country towards evaluations with an inclusive approach.

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