Society & Culture / Social Issues / Class & Social Mobility

Why High School Is a Life Raft for the Poor and a VIP Pass for the Rich

In this eye-opening video, we dissect Florencia D’Aloisio’s groundbreaking study, *What Does High School Mean for Its Youth?*, which spent years embedded in two radically different schools in Córdoba, Argentina. One is a crumbling public school where 53% of students work to survive, and the diploma is a shield against exploitation. The other is an elite private institution where 0% fail and the same piece of paper is just a barcode to the country club. We reveal how the system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly as designed to reproduce class divisions. You’ll uncover why poor kids cling to the myth of willpower, how privilege erases itself, and what this means for every student, parent, and educator. Prepare to see high school through a new, uncomfortable lens.