FAQ · Education 31

The national line called Prestaciones a Comedores Escolares is meant to support the right to adequate and healthy food by complementing the food service in public schools, with priority for children and adolescents aged 4 to 14 who face socio-educational risk. It seeks to improve the quality of the meals offered at school, whether breakfast, a snack, lunch, dinner, a light bite, or a refreshment, and each jurisdiction’s plan decides which of those services are included. To receive the funding, a jurisdiction must submit a plan that includes, among other items, the list of schools, their enrollment, the nutritional targets for each food service, and the daily menu plan. Coverage is for the whole period in which the school year operates, and in some cases it includes the summer period, and the line also aims to secure suitable sanitation, infrastructure, and equipment for the food service. Its stated aims include healthy-eating practices through sustainable self-production, food suited to local needs in coordination with other national and provincial areas, buying local food from family farming, training teaching and non-teaching staff in healthy eating, nutrition, and food safety, and involving community referents, food handlers, and families in improving the service. The published contact point is Avenida Santa Fe 1548, floor 7, in the City of Buenos Aires, postal code C1060ABO, telephone 54 11 4129-1000, extension 6244.

City of Buenos Aires Law 2148 defines school transport as the paid or free carriage of initial, primary, or secondary pupils who study at public or private schools in the city, to or from those schools, and it also covers carrying more than six pupils at once, or more than six minors up to age 18 at once, to sport, cultural, or recreational activities organized by holiday camps or by civil or religious bodies in the city. A trip outside the city may not go farther than 100 kilometers from it. The service must use motor vehicles authorized by the city government. A vehicle may not be older than 20 years to stay in the service, and it may not be older than 15 years when it enters, counted from the manufacture date on the certificate of manufacture or nationalization, although an exceptional stay of up to 22 years is possible if the technical checks set by the authority are met. A specific technical inspection every six months is required, a new vehicle is inspected once a year for its first five years, and a vehicle older than 20 years in the service is inspected every four months. The driver must be at least 21 and hold a class D license in the proper subdivision, and an authorized companion is mandatory when the vehicle has more than 15 seats, except for trips organized by a school, holiday camp, or civil or religious body in the city, which must instead send an adult responsible for the children.

The national health page for schools says the only treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet, without wheat, oats, barley, and rye, and that this diet must be kept for life. School cafeteria staff are responsible for making sure a person with celiac disease receives safe food. People with the disease may eat food of natural origin, fresh meat, fresh vegetables and fruit, eggs, and cereals and legumes that are suitable for them, plus homemade dishes made from those ingredients with the care needed to avoid cross-contamination. From Decree 218 of 2023, which regulates Law 26588 as amended by Law 27196, every school cafeteria must offer a gluten-free menu to people with celiac disease and meet the requirements in that decree. The same guidance says the gluten-free meal should be as similar as possible to what the other pupils eat, that cooking must use new oil and a clean pot, and that oil already used to fry a battered food stays contaminated even if it is filtered. If there is any doubt that a food contains gluten, it should not be given to the child, and the parents should be kept informed of the menu their child will eat.

The 2026 school calendar published by the Federal Education Council, from information supplied by the jurisdictions and annexed to Resolution 508, does not set one national first day. On that table the earliest start is 18 February 2026 in Santiago del Estero, while the City of Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Neuquén, and Santa Cruz start on 25 February, and a large group of provinces starts on 2 March. Winter breaks on the same table fall in July and are grouped as 6 to 17 July, 13 to 24 July, or 20 to 31 July, depending on the jurisdiction. The year ends on 17 December 2026 in Formosa, on 22 December in Buenos Aires province and Mendoza, and on 23 December in La Pampa. The other jurisdictions shown on the table, including the City of Buenos Aires, close on 18 December 2026. The page presents these dates as the start, the winter break, and the end of classes for every province and for the City of Buenos Aires.

A national human-rights notice dated 6 September 2021 announced a new cohort of a beginner Spanish course for migrants and refugees, starting on 6 September, free of charge, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 16 to 18 by Zoom. The classes were given under an agreement made the previous year between the Human Rights Secretariat and the Centro Universitario de Idiomas, to support the inclusion of migrants and refugees, and the first stage, from February to June, had 16 participants. The course was for people at the initial stage of learning the language, and people of several nationalities had already enrolled. Because it was remote, people could join from different parts of the country. Those in the City of Buenos Aires who had connectivity problems could attend from the integration center for migrants and refugees at Avenida Pueyrredón 19, in the Balvanera neighborhood, which had opened in April of that year. The notice said later courses would move from online to in person as the Covid-19 restrictions allowed, at the integration-center network in the City of Buenos Aires and in Rosario, with two centers in La Plata still to open.

Since the Educational Reform of 2006, a National Institute for Teacher Education has worked to develop a coherent training structure across the country. To work in public schools nationwide, there is a national requirement of a 5-Year National Bachelor of Education. Alternatively, private universities may grant a 4-Year Provincial Bachelor of Education that has regional application. The government has also implemented measures to standardize academic qualifications and create a federal system of degrees and transcripts. These reforms aim to improve the quality and consistency of education throughout Argentina.

Belgrano Day School offers a curriculum for pupils aged 2 to 18 years old. The school provides education from kindergarten through to senior school. For the youngest students, an early English immersion programme begins at the age of two. This kindergarten program is led by fully bilingual teachers and is officially supervised by the Ministry of Education. The institution currently serves more than 1000 students across these various levels.

Belgrano Day School offers a curriculum for pupils aged 2 to 18 years old. The school provides education ranging from kindergarten to senior school. In the kindergarten section, an early English immersion programme begins at the age of two. This programme is led by fully bilingual teachers to develop social skills and creativity. The kindergarten operates under the official supervision of the Ministry of Education.

Yes, there are certain observances that impact students. Teacher's Day on September 11 is a school holiday specifically for primary and high school students. Additionally, Student's Day on September 21 is a holiday for high school and university students. Other dates like Argentine National Anthem Day and Navy Day are not considered holidays. Most public holidays in the country include Catholic based holidays and historic celebrations.

In March 2020, the government announced the suspension of school classes for all levels. This suspension applied to both public and private schools across the country. The decision was part of a broader set of measures to manage the spread of the virus. These measures included closing borders and implementing a mandatory quarantine. Such actions were taken to address the health situation following arrivals from highly affected countries.

Public universities at the tertiary and university levels are tuition-free and open to everyone. While no fees are required for these institutions, students often face hidden costs such as materials and transportation. It is important to note that post-graduate education generally requires funding and is not free. Due to financial pressure, many freshman students work full-time while studying. This can provide valuable work experience upon graduation but may also contribute to higher dropout rates.

Mapudungun is not used as a language of instruction in the educational system of Argentina. While it is spoken in west-central Argentina by the Mapuche people, it is not an official national language of the country. The language has received virtually no government support throughout its history. Consequently, it does not serve as a medium for education within the national system. This situation remains despite the presence of Mapuche speakers in the region.

Admission to undergraduate study at the National University of Córdoba is not selective. Applicants are required to pass a leveling course test to gain entry. To succeed, students must achieve a score higher than 4 on this test. This score is equivalent to getting 60% of the answers correct. This process is similar to that of most public universities in Argentina.

The Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, also known as UCA, is a private university with several campuses across the country. These campuses are located in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Rosario, Paraná, Mendoza, and Pergamino. The main campus is situated in the modern Puerto Madero neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The institution was formally founded on March 7, 1958, following a decree that allowed for the creation of private universities. Additionally, the university's part-time MBA program has been accredited by the Association of MBAs since 1998.

The most important student organization in Argentina is the Argentine University Federation, also known as the FUA. It was created on April 11, 1918, as part of the University Reform movement that started in Córdoba. This organization gathers university federations from every local university across the country. It represents a total of one and a half million students through various student centres. The FUA has a long history of supporting international solidarity and Latin American unity.

Argentina offers a network of vocational schools that provide viable alternatives for students. Many of these institutions operate under the provincial educational systems or the auspices of the National Technological University. For adults over 18, an accelerated high school system exists to guarantee secondary education. This intensive program typically lasts two or three years and can include a 16-hour school day. Night shifts are also available to accommodate those who work during the day. These high school diplomas are accepted for university enrollment.

Argentina's education is measured through the United Nations Human Development Index using average years of schooling for adults and expected years for children. In PISA studies, the country has consistently scored below the OECD average. Results from 2019 showed that half of the evaluated students were at the lowest levels across three categories. Despite these challenges, several Argentine universities appear in international rankings of the top 500 in the world. The University of Buenos Aires is the highest-ranked institution among them.

The education system in Argentina is organized into four distinct levels. For young children, the first stage is known as the initial level, which is referred to as kindergarten or educación inicial. This is followed by the primary level, known as educación primaria. After the initial and primary stages, students move on to secondary and tertiary education. These levels form the foundation of the country's educational framework.

The library of the Academia Argentina de Letras is one of the most important in Argentina and specializes in linguistics and Argentine, Spanish, and Latin American literature. It currently holds almost 130,000 volumes along with an important periodicals archive. The collection includes 2,000 antique books published between 1515 and 1801. Visitors can also find significant collections of correspondence and various specialized holdings. Some collections, such as Gaucho literature and travel literature, are available via the Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library.

Education at all levels, including university, is free in Argentina. Public universities at the tertiary and undergraduate levels are tuition-free and open to anyone. However, students should consider hidden costs of education such as materials and transportation. Post-graduate education is different because it generally requires some form of funding and is not free. Additionally, the lack of a widespread scholarship system can create financial pressure for some students.

Argentina has five community-operated weekend schools that teach the Korean language. These schools originally focused on teaching the language as a heritage language to locally born ethnic Korean youth. In recent years, these institutions have shifted towards offering cultural activities aimed at the mainstream. This includes offering Korean language courses to a broader audience. Such education is often inspired by the popularity of Korean cinema and television dramas.

Argentina is home to several indigenous languages spoken across various provinces. The Mapuche language has approximately 8,400 speakers in Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, and Santa Cruz. In the north, Central Aymara is spoken by 4,100 inhabitants in Jujuy and northern Salta. The Mataco-Guaicuru family includes several languages such as Nivaclé, which has about 200 speakers in Formosa. Other notable languages include Wichí Lhamtés Vejoz, with 32,000 speakers in Chaco, Formosa, and Salta, and Mocoví, which had 2,800 speakers in 2012. Additionally, Pilagá is spoken by thousands of people in the Pilcomayo and Bermejo river basins.

Argentina focuses on several key areas including medicine, nuclear physics, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. The country also excels in space and rocket technology alongside fields related to its main economic activities. High-technology exports include products with high R&D intensity such as aerospace, computers, and pharmaceuticals. Scientific instruments and electrical machinery are also part of these important sectors. These advancements have earned Argentine academics international respect since the turn of the 1900s.

The Faculty of Medical Sciences, commonly known as the Faculty of Medicine, is the medical school of the University of Buenos Aires. It is currently the largest medical school in Argentina, with over 24,000 students enrolled as of 2011. The faculty operates a hospital network that includes the Hospital de Clínicas Jose de San Martin as its main teaching hospital. Most of its facilities are located in a large complex in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires. This area is widely known as Facultad de Medicina due to the prominence of the school.

The Law 1420 of General Common Education was a landmark national law passed in 1884. This law dictated that education should be public, compulsory, free, and secular. It established mandatory primary education for all children between the ages of 6 and 14. The law helped reduce illiteracy and significantly increased school attendance across the country. It also played an essential role in forming a common culture among diverse European immigrants. This system helped diminish conflicts between the many ethnic groups living in Argentina at the time.

Claudio Girola Iommi attended several important institutions during his artistic development. In 1939, he began his studies at the Manuel Belgrano National Fine Arts School under Antonio Sibellino. He later attended the National University of the Arts from 1940 to 1943. During his time at the university, he transitioned from studying drawing to focusing on sculpting. He also learned sculpting in his father's workshop alongside his brother Enio. Additionally, he studied drawing under the Spanish-Argentine artist Eugenio Fornells.

Alexander Watson Hutton was a Scottish teacher who arrived in Argentina in 1882. He played a significant role in boosting the development of football in the country. In 1884, he founded the Buenos Aires English High School. He also founded the Argentine Association Football League on 21 February 1893. This organization is considered the historical antecedent of the Asociación de Fútbol Argentino.

Yes, an adult system of high schools exists to guarantee secondary education to people over 18. These programs are usually called Acelerados, which is Spanish for accelerated. The system normally consists of 2 or 3 years of intensive study. This ensures that adults have the opportunity to fulfill their right to secondary education. It serves as a specialized pathway for those who need to complete their schooling later in life.

The Argentine national university system underwent a significant decentralization through the implementation of the Taquini Plan in 1970. This project was proposed by Dr. Alberto Taquini in 1968 to expand the number of national universities. Before this, the system was limited and many students faced issues with distance and costs. The plan aimed to increase accessibility across the nation's districts. This restructuring helped address the lack of prestige and equipment found in some provincial institutions.

The National Social Security Administration, known as ANSES, manages the Universal Childhood Entitlement. This poverty relief program provides a monthly benefit of 340 pesos per child to millions of children under age 18. A portion of this benefit is managed through a specific savings account. Access to 20% of the check in this account requires certification of the child's vaccination and enrollment in school. This ensures that social programs are linked to essential childhood requirements.

Deaf people in Argentina attend separate schools and use local sign languages outside of class. Argentine Sign Language, known as LSA, was officially recognized by the government in 2023. This language is thought to have emerged around 1905 when the Ayrolo Institute opened as the first boarding school for the Deaf. While LSA is largely standard across the country, some lexical and phonetic variations exist in Northeast Argentina. There are also variations between men and women because schools for the Deaf were sex segregated until 1990.