Learning from what has been learned
Since 2016, the Aprender tests have assessed learning across different grade levels in primary and secondary education. Recognizing the extent of learning is valuable for teachers, while assessing national standards allows for defining and adjusting educational policies. The results of these tests for 2024 were released a few days ago, confirming a very unflattering reality already identified in previous editions. Are we really understanding the situation we've been experiencing for decades?
Focusing on third grades across the country, the latest edition of the Aprender tests, carried out last November in 4,178 randomly selected schools in the country, reflects the structural crisis that we went through. Only 45% of primary school students reach the expected reading comprehension level by the end of third grade. ; 24.5% are "on track" to achieve it, while 30.5% are "significantly behind." It should be noted that the data are not comparable, as they use six performance levels, not four as in previous assessments, and therefore establish a new baseline.
Many note a certain eagerness to avoid publishing disaggregated results by school, which would allow parents to know where their children stand comparatively and demand better teaching responses. Professor Edgardo Zablotsky , a member of the National Academy of Education , has argued for years that Article 97 of the National Education Law should be amended. Zablotsky prohibits the publication of results that would single out the educational institution, supposedly to "avoid stigmatization." The truth is that this is a political decision that prevents both demanding improvements, he asserts, and recognizing efforts in adverse contexts that mark differences.
The Argentinos por la Educación Observatory warned that, at the national level, Three out of ten students are “significantly behind” and one in ten cannot read The impact of the socioeconomic gap is observed in the Better results achieved by students from private schools than those from state schools , with smaller differences between rural and urban areas, but with significant asymmetries between provinces. The best performers were Formosa (63.6%) and Córdoba (58.8%), followed by CABA (55.5%). The worst performers were Chaco (34.2%), San Juan (37%), and Misiones (38%).
Specialist Victoria Zorraquín points out that the brain is hardwired to speak, but that it doesn't learn to read on its own. The mistake has been falling in love with unfounded theories that are contrary to the science of reading, she reflects in her book, "We Didn't Learn Anything." Another specialist, Manuel Álvarez Trongé , argues that we have naturalized the educational tragedy and that we must make an active commitment by voting for improvements that make education a priority, as other countries have successfully done.
The National Literacy Plan , launched in 2024 and signed by all provinces, is just one step. We need a social contract that unites us around the urgent goal of education. Literacy is the window to all learning.
lanacion
