| National Ministry of Culture and Education |
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The Transformation in Education
According to the changes already mentioned, a structural
transformation of education has been under way in Argentine since 1993. The
basic legal frame which allows to carry out these changes consists of three
laws
Law Nº 24.049, Transfer of Educational Services to the Provinces, 1992; transfers the educational services the still depended on the National Government to the Provinces.
Law Nº 24.195, known as the Federal Law of Education, passed in 1993; states the basic outlines for the transformation of education at primary and secondary levels. This law establishes new objectives, a new academic structure and the need of new contents for all levels. It also sets the rules for the decentralized government of education; assigning the State the role of policy-maker, assessment in education and compensating balance, whereas the actual educational services are directly supplied by the provincial governments.
Law Nº 24.521, Law of Higher Education, passed in 1995; deals with tertiary level, both university as well as non-university tertiary studies, teacher development being one of them.
This legal frame is completed by a clear political
determination which guarantees the economic resources required for the
transformation, stated in the Federal Educational Pact signed by the President,
the Governors of the Provinces and the Mayor of the City of Buenos Aires,
on September 11th, 1994, according to Article 63 of the Federal Law of
Education.
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Argentina is a federal state with 24 jurisdictions. Each
of them rules (decides politically and administrates) all the services in
their areas, including school services. Defense and diplomacy are the national
government's concern.
In the '70s primary school services had already been transferred to the provinces. The 1992 Law transferred secondary schools as well as the tertiary institutions, which were up to that moment at national level. This stands for 20 % of the total official educational services. On the other hand, by this same law, private education (30 % of the country's total service) has begun to depend on provincial governments (and to receive allowances in some cases).
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Furthermore, the national government will invest U$S 3,000
million between 1995 and 1999. The provinces have committed themselves to
finance 20 % of the investments made by he nation and to re-invest the saving
obtained by the cutting down of their sector's expenses in the education
system.
The objectives of financing the Federal Education Pact
are specifically agreed to be:
To guarantee the development of the 650.000 teachers in the country according to the educational transformation under way;
To eradicate poverty-targeted schools; expanding registration according to the Law (100 % schooling between 5 and 14 years old);
To adapt premises and equipment to the new structure. Between 1993 and 1995 U$S 560,483,089 has been invested for such purposes.
This frame has allowed the take off of a process of deep
transformations in the educational field, signalled by a series of force-ideas
which guide it.
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