Argentina at a Glance
Education in Argentina
Argentina's education system boasts an excellent international reputation.
Education
Expats families with children will be interested in learning more about education in Argentina. Generally speaking, Argentina’s school system has a good international reputation. Argentina has the highest levels of literacy and education among all Latin American countries.
In Argentina, education starts at the pre-primary level, with kindergarten for children aged between three and five. A pre-school education is, however, not compulsory, except for the last year, which is called educación Inicial. Primary schooling then begins at the age of six, and we will give a rough outline of the education system below.
Compulsory Schooling
Nowadays, compulsory education for Argentine schoolchildren includes two options: Either six years of primary school are followed by another six years at secondary, or there are seven years of primary education and five years at a secondary school. All twelve years of free schooling are now obligatory.
Secondary education is again sub-divided into two levels. The second one allows students to choose a vocational, professional, or academic focus. At the end of secondary school, students will sit an entrance exam for Argentina’s 38 national universities. Private universities in Argentina may have additional admission requirements.
International Schools
While English is very important as a foreign language, Spanish remains the predominant language in the classroom. Younger kids may easily pick up a foreign language within up to six months. For older students with little or no knowledge of Spanish, such an experience is far more likely to be disruptive, though. Therefore many expat families prefer to send their children to a private international school.
48 schools in Argentina offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma. There are a number of international schools in the Buenos Aires area. They cater to various expat communities, particularly the British, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and US American communities. There are also a few bilingual (Spanish-English) schools in the cities of Cordoba and Rosario, most notably the Colegio Mark Twain (Cordoba) and the Colegio San Bartolomé (Rosario).
International Schools in Buenos Aires
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