The Ministry of Education of Argentina designs the general curriculum and standards that all schools, private and public, must follow, so there is very little variation in the material that is taught. But since private schools receive more private funding and do not depend on government money, they do have a bit more leeway in order to fulfill the school’s philosophy.
When considering whether or not to send your child to a private school, you must also consider whether you want to send him or her to a religious school or not. Out of the Argentine population, 25% of the students attend private schools, and within that, 63% go Catholic schools.
Fortunately, students can continue to go to school for free all the way through to the university level. Books and supplies, though, are not funded for by the schools and usually must be bought by the student or his or her family. And, when your child reaches the university level and begins considering public or private schools, you must keep in mind that there are no student loan companies, and banks do not provide loans for private universities.
In addition to the typical private and public options to consider, there are also vocational educational programs available. The vocational programs are called “Modalidades Educativas” and range from artistic programs to technical programs. Within these, there are also programs specially designed for students who have physical disabilities, learning disabilities, students in rural zones, and for other young people and adults to guarantee their literacy.