The progress of education in Argentina is best epitomized in the report
of the National Council of Education for the four years ending December
31, 1916. The character of this council is unique in educational
polity, wielding, as it does, greater powers than any similar body
in countries educationally advanced, and counting in its membership
some of the ablest men in the Nation. Its reports follow traditionally
the line of national (the capital city), provincial, and territorial
administration. When the very heterogeneous character of the population
of Argentina, due to the steady stream of immigration, is taken into
account, the necessity of such a central body, vested with powers
of initiation and execution in primary education, is apparent. By
a wise division of powers in the original organic law, the control
of secondary education was left in the hands of the Provinces, with
subsidies granted by the National Government, as was the right to
prescribe subjects essential to nationalistic and patriotic training.
Concentration of effort and power is thus secured, with national
acquiescence in the official actions of the council. Its activities
center naturally around the establishment of new schools and the
construction of school buildings, and the training of teachers to meet
the demands of modern conditions.
As a substitute for the abortive intermediate schools established in
1916, which soon proved unsatisfactory, the council decided later in
that year to establish, parallel and auxiliary to the higher primary
schools, one of practical arts and crafts for each sex in every
district of Buenos Aires. Such schools approximated 100 in number.
This type of school was designed for boys and girls not intending to
proceed to higher studies, and was later to be extended to the nation
at large. Its purpose and program of studies was two-fold--to complete
the theoretical and higher courses of the higher primary schools with
vocational, technical, and manual training, based upon and making
use of the materials which were peculiarly Argentine and local in
industries, commerce, art, and economics; and to lay stress throughout
on nationalistic and patriotic aims. An interesting feature, common to
these new schools and the continuation schools now arising in England
and France, is the provision by which they operate 2 hours in the
morning and 2 hours in the afternoon or night, and are to admit pupils
from the fourth to the sixth grade of the primary schools, who have
reached the age of 12 years. Statistics as to the success of these
schools are not as yet available.
In the matter of building primary schools proper, the report of the
council shows progress throughout the four years covered. A total of 62
schools, with 426 teachers and 19,563 pupils, was added to the system.
Because of national economic and financial conditions prevailing
half a century ago, the great majority of the primary schools began
operation in private buildings, which did not conform to pedagogical
or even sanitary requirements. For many years excessive rents were
often paid by the State, but upon the revaluation of property in many
Provinces in 1915, an economy in rents was effected, and the funds thus
saved were devoted to new schools. Despite high prices of material
and difficulties of labor, in December, 1916, eleven school buildings
were in process of erection, at an estimated cost of $750,000, with a
capacity of 22,000 pupils. According to the report of the council: “The
construction of properly equipped Government primary school buildings
has constituted one of the most serious problems and, therefore, one
of the chief occupations of the council.” It was frankly admitted,
however, that, with all the efforts of the council, accommodations for
children in the primary schools were still far from adequate, it being
estimated on that date that 4,000 additional schools of this grade
were needed for the more than 600,000 children in the capital and the
Territories who, for one reason or another, were not in school.
The activity of the council continued to be marked in 1917. In April of
that year, 143 new schools were decreed, 39 for the Federal Capital, 18
for the Provinces under the legal national subvention, and 86 for the
Territories (30 being _escuelas ambulantes_), the Congress voting two
millions in the national budget for the execution of this decree. The
centralizing tendencies of South American countries in general, and
the overwhelming dominance of the capital, secured for it so generous
a share of this that it is estimated that in the Federal capital there
will be for the first time room for all children of school age. For the
poorer Provinces, and the Territories, which by the Tainez law of 1886
are absolutely dependent upon the central authority of the National
Council, 250 schools of one and two rooms were assigned, but on an
estimate about one-third of the children were still left unprovided
with school facilities. Attention was repeatedly called to the need of
a uniform and rigorously applied national law for compulsory school
attendance.
During the year 1918 approximately 400 schools were established, and
the council proposes to establish as many more during 1919 in the
Provinces and the national Territories. The nation has taken charge
of many provincial schools which the respective governments could not
maintain by reason of lack of resources. The Province of Mendoza alone
transferred 130 schools to the council of education during the month of
August, 1918. Relative to the establishment of schools, regard has been
had chiefly to the population of the districts which petitioned for
them, as well as the number of children of school age, in order that
the buildings may be installed in populous centers, where a constant
attendance of pupils is reasonably assured.
The general plan of the council for the diffusion of primary education
has not been put into practice in full, because of the lack of
resources in some instances and in others because of the scarcity of
building materials in the country. School equipment has been secured
in various countries, supplies necessary having been purchased in the
United States to the value of $350,000. The demand has been still
unsatisfied, the capital city alone calling for the establishment of
new schools every year, because of the increase of children of school
age, and the Provinces have always been behind the necessary number of
school buildings and facilities and have never reached the goal set
by the authorities. An encouraging feature of the situation is that
upon the completion of all the school buildings now under construction
accommodations for 56,000 pupils in addition will be provided.
Peculiar attention has been given to the development of night
schools by the council, 86 having been established and maintained by
the council in the four years covered by the report. An admirably
broadened scope was given them in the appeal issued by the council to
the nation that the full purpose of such schools should be realized
not only by the attendance of illiterates, but also of youths and
adults “who, possessing some degree of education, are also desirous of
improving that as related to the needs of their lives.” All reforms
and modifications of night schools have concerned themselves with this
larger clientele. A further socializing of the night school is seen in
the appeal of the council to proprietors, managers of factories, and
employers of labor generally to encourage in every way in their power
their employees to attend night schools and to offer prizes of various
kinds for diligence and progress. Literature bearing on these schools
was distributed free by the council.
In 1915 the council was empowered, by the terms of the will of a
philanthropic resident of Buenos Aires, Don Felix Berasconi, who
bequeathed for educational purposes a sum of three and a half million
dollars, to proceed to the erection and establishment of an institution
under State control which should give instruction in general primary,
scientific, scientific-industrial, physical, and social education. A
building was to be begun in 1916, planned in seven sections, conforming
to the most modern pedagogical and sanitary demands, and with a
capacity of more than 3,000 pupils. Designed to benefit the working
people preeminently, it was to be situated in the section of the city
showing the greatest proportion of them.
Responding to the general feeling of dissatisfaction with the results
of primary education in the city of Buenos Aires, which has been
unaffected by criticism for seven years, the council in June, 1917,
sent out questionnaires to all inspectors and to the body of teachers
calling for an expression of opinion as to (1) the merits and defects
of the plans of studies, schedules, etc., then in force; (2) those of
projected or possible programs, with additional features worthy to
be incorporated; and (3) educational considerations bearing upon the
problems of the schools of the capital. The answers showed encouraging
grasp of the educational needs of the city, with significant unanimity
as to the practical methods of working out necessary reforms. Salient
points were:
1. That all programs should leave room for and be closely articulated
with manual arts and domestic economy.
2. That the courses of arithmetic in the first, second, third, fourth,
and fifth grades were overloaded, as were those of grammar in the
fourth, geometry in the third and fifth, nature study in the second,
geography in the second and fifth, singing in the second, and music.
3. That the primary school cycle should commence at 7 years and end at
12.
4. That primary courses and schedules for urban schools should be
strictly differentiated from those for rural and country town schools.
5. That from October 15 to April 15 the school day should be from 7.30
to 11.30; from April 15 to September 30 from 12 to 4.
6. That the advancement of the teacher with the class merited a fair
trial, the teacher remaining with the same class a minimum of two years
and a maximum of three.
7. That the establishment of normal schools essentially for rural
teachers was imperative.
It is recognized that the clearness and sanity of these answers had a
marked effect upon the substance of the law presented to the Federal
Congress in August, 1918.
Another interesting instance of the submission of a pedagogic matter to
the teachers of the city of Buenos Aires is shown in the questionnaire
asking their opinion as to the best method of teaching spelling,
sent out by the inspector of the tenth district, to the teachers. In
accordance with the answers to this, the vocabulary used in primary
schools was reduced to categories corresponding to the several grades,
to its difficulties, and to the actual needs of the life and dominant
occupations of the quarter of the city from which the children were
drawn. This step was highly commended in French educational circles as
marking efficient grappling with pedagogical difficulties felt in all
cities of whatsoever country.
The regulation of the medical and dental inspection of national
schools, under decree of March, 1918, was noteworthy. According to
this, professional inspectors, chosen by the Government, must within
the first three months of each school year examine individually all
children entering school for the first time, periodically inspect the
school buildings and ground and the health conditions of the teaching
and administrative staffs, and take all prophylactic measures deemed
necessary against epidemics and contagious diseases. Such reports shall
be transmitted to the medical inspector general. Dental inspection of
schools is to have a prominent part. Every month the chief inspector
shall assemble for report and mutual discussion all medical and dental
inspectors in such territorial divisions as he shall see fit.
Of the regulations in detail promulgated by the council in 1918, the
most important is that changing the school year to two divisions, the
first beginning March 1 and continuing until June 30, followed by three
weeks of vacation, and the second beginning July 21 and continuing
until November 20, followed by the long vacation of the year. This
change is regarded as conforming with climatic effects upon the health
of school children and as being a step long needed.