Drugs and educational exclusion: Unpacking how teacher discretion can impact access and equity

• In Event: Reading drug and security policy through the lens of the street-level bureaucrat: Reflections on practice from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador

Abstract

This paper explores teacher practices in neighbourhoods affected by the presence of illicit drug markets. The study is informed by Michael Lipsky’s description of the street-level bureaucrat, which identifies the discretionary nature of front-line work in state bureaucracies and highlights the potential implications discretion carries for social justice. Drawing from a qualitative multi-sited case study that employed interview, focus group and participant observation techniques over the course of one school year in Guayaquil, Ecuador, the paper identifies the areas of discretion exercised by teachers working with students involved in drugs. It maps the spectrum of teacher responses, including how teachers ascribe identities to their students, what types of supports and disciplinary measures are meted out (to whom and when), and how curriculum and pedagogy is adapted (if at all) to achieve contextual relevance. The data gathered from this case study surfaces significant variance across teacher practices, often informed by how teachers assess risks, conceptualise their role, and interpret national and municipal policy. The paper argues that such teacher response variance carries repercussions for educational access and equity, given the potential for “creaming” practices and ultimately the “pushing out” of adolescents born into or exposed to criminal networks.

Author

• Maria Jose Bermeo, Teachers College Columbia University