Challenges of working in undervalued technical schools. A continuum between discourses of deficit and trust

This paper focuses on the perceptions of technical high school tutors in Mexico about students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds context global curriculum reforms and institutional hierarchies. Through two novel concepts education, culture poverty cultural deficiency, explores: (a) how structural constraints shape tutors’ practices with students, (b) contribute to reconceptualise discourses deficit a more comprehensive way. in-depth semi-structured interviews nine working Tijuana, City Tuxtla Gutierrez, main themes analysis are: conditions, their relationships quality education offer, curricular reforms, behaviour management. Even if systemic factors amongst we found valuable experiences empathy, trust, encouragement that show both agency resilience.