In the world of school education, it is well known that school attendance figures for March—the month when students return to school after summer break—serve as a sort of indicator for the school year. That is why the fact that 2026 recorded the best March since 2019, the last year before the onset of the coronavirus, is a good sign.
Specifically, according to an analysis by the Ministry of Education’s Center for Studies obtained by La Tercera, attendance in March 2026 averaged 90.9%, 0.5% higher than the 90.4% recorded in 2025. This figure is also higher than the 90.5% recorded in 2024, the 89.3% in 2023, and the 84.7% in 2022. It is worth noting that the threshold for what is known as “serious absenteeism”—the step prior to dropping out—is set at 85%.
That said, the figures for 2026 still show a gap compared to 2020 and 2021—years when online classes and lockdowns were the norm: March 2019 had recorded a 92.7% attendance rate, March 2018 a 92.5% rate, and March 2017 a 92.8% rate.
Yanira Alée, director of the School Assistance Program at Fundación Educacional Oportunidad, which works with early childhood education, says that for a child to learn what is required and develop age-appropriate skills, evidence shows that the child must attend class at least 90% of the days in the year.
“When children miss 10% or more of their classes—20 days or more in a year—we refer to this as chronic absenteeism, which has significant consequences for their future academic performance, their likelihood of dropping out of school, and the bond they form with the school system.”
He adds: “From that perspective, we still face major challenges in ensuring that children do not miss out on the learning opportunities available during this period, which are key to their future educational paths.”
In this regard, the report notes that enrollment in early childhood education has also increased, rising steadily since 2022, when the national average was 76.8 percent, while last year it reached 84.1 percent.
“From that perspective, and considering that more than 40% of children in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten still experience chronic absenteeism, we still face major challenges in ensuring that children do not miss out on the learning opportunities available during this period, which are key to their future educational trajectories.”
According to the Ministry of Education’s analysis, 75.48% of students attended 90% or more of their classes in March of this year—a rate not seen since 2017, when it stood at 81.59%. In this regard, the report highlights the low proportion of students with critically low attendance in March 2026, which stood at 2.66%—the lowest level since 2019.
“This result is part of the sustained recovery observed in recent years, marking a decline from the peak levels recorded following the return to in-person learning,” the document states.
When analyzing attendance by administrative jurisdiction, subsidized private schools have historically recorded the highest attendance in March. These schools managed to return to their usual levels starting in 2024, reaching 92.2% in 2026. Meanwhile, municipal schools and those operated by the Local Public Education Services (SLEP) have shown a more gradual recovery since 2024, with attendance rates of 90.1% and 87.9%, respectively, in the latter year.
In any case, all departments—with the exception of schools under delegated administration—have recorded their highest attendance rates in March since 2019.
And by geographic region? The picture varies. In the northern macrozone, Arica and Parinacota, along with Tarapacá, have shown stability since 2024, though they have not returned to their pre-pandemic levels, according to the analysis. In Atacama, a historically critical region that recorded severe absenteeism—below 85%—in 2022 and 2023, attendance reached 87.1% this year, though this is lower than the 87.9% recorded in 2025.
The region with the highest attendance in March 2026 was Ñuble, at 92.9%, and the region with the lowest was Atacama.
More specifically, the Ministry of Education's Center for Studies undertook an analysis to identify the 30 municipalities with the lowest historical attendance rates in March.
“The results place Collipulli, Cato de Hornos, Timaukel, and Tierra Amarilla among the municipalities with the lowest rates.”
“This pattern could be related to structural factors linked to its location, such as adverse territorial conditions, low population density, and connectivity challenges, which together may affect regular attendance in the school system,” the report states.