Trust in Learning-Argentina!

I was home for five days after arriving from Madagascar to take off for South America!  Whew!  I was woefully unprepared for this journey in researching about schools that I was to visit and even more alarming, two of the schools I had scheduled did not follow up with the materials I sent on the book and my research.  I also found out that this week was the end of the schools' year--let alone semester--and most were on holiday until March.  So I was feeling stranded, stretched, and stressed.

I had no idea what a warm greeting was awaiting me in Buenos Aires!  

From my window in Buenos Aires at dusk...

Porto Madero

At the last minute, I had turned to my niece, who was a Fulbright scholar in Argentina, for possible contacts and she emailed the Fulbright office in the city.  Before I knew it, I had visits to schools scheduled throughout the week--even though it was during their final exams and teachers wrapping up the year.  Thank you, Fulbright in Buenos Aires, for a wonderful experience!

Cultural Center

The country is undergoing great change politically, economically and educationally.  A new government installed two years ago has undertaken significant reforms such as extending retirement age by five years and consolidating all teacher education into a single institution rather than training institutes throughout Buenos Aires.  These changes resulted in considerable public outcry and national strikes and marches in the city that were being held when we were there.  Two of the schools I was to visit had to cancel because of the disruptions to their schedules.  

The Obelisk!

Secondary school is compulsory and guided by an education bill that was passed in 2006.  However, two major reforms in recent years in the high school curriculum and now, project-based learning, has added significantly to the challenges that school leaders and teachers face.  Co-teaching by different subject area teachers, for example, is on the horizon.  Many of the schools, according to those I spoke to, welcome the change as it will allow for more teaching of the student as a whole--including their social and emotional learning needs.  Special needs students are fully integrated in the school with no specialized teachers.

A school library with student art...

 There are private schools in the city but education innovation is taking place mostly in the public sector.  The only public schools exempt from these reforms are those affiliated with the universities, which have a "classic" educational program (including Latin as a requirement).  It is interesting to note that students in the best schools there--affiliated with the universities--often protest and walk out of their schools, as well, with the academic calendar prolonged as a result.

Another unique feature of Argentina is that its public education system is completely free of cost--throughout undergraduate and graduate studies.  Students an attend without being screened out but may not last in school because of the rigor.  The open nature of the schooling has meant that Argentina is educating students from all over South America--Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, recently from Colombia and, to an extent, Chile.  

I repeatedly asked if this resulted in some tensions in schools with sharing of resources.  While many said it did not, one teacher shared with me the historical context in Argentina that has led to conflict and prejudice in schools.  Through the 17th and 18th century, slave trade was key to the country's economy with Blacks imported from Africa and sent to other parts of Latin America.  In the late 19th century, slavery was abolished but prior to this, many Black Argentinians had died out or were "whitened" in the country's census counts (a history I hope to learn more about).  This teacher also pointed to the country's ties to Europe (particularly with Germany, France and England) as a self-identification process that has continued along racial lines.  She argued that the sense of unity among Argentinian people does not exist and that schools reflect that.

An exhibit on Indigenous and Black people of South America

There are other elements of schooling in the province and city of Buenos Aires that are influential in their teaching and sense of community.  While there are strong teacher unions, the profession is typically part-time, with schools in shifts for five hours in morning vs. afternoon vs. evening programs.  Whether this was due to limited space in Buenos Aires and/or a relatively lower status of teachers was not clear but they typically have to find other work outside of school to make a living.  

Student farewell assembly

Of the schools I visited, one stood out as an innovative and caring environment; very much like one school I visited in Sevilla, Spain (in fact, I hope to connect the two principals to share ideas and resources).  The teachers were very committed to the students' growth and the students expressed that in their interviews with me.  I was honored to be present during their final awards ceremony (only one shift of two in the building) where the top students received certificates and prizes, such as bicycles.  They showed some video projects that had one city-wide awards, including one that involved interviews of the veterans from the Falkland Islands war in the early 1980s--a war that has still had an impact on the country in visible ways.  I was asked to come back and participate in a faculty development end-of-year reflection in the school and the teachers were asked to reflect on important authors in education. Among them were Paolo Freire, Daniel Coleman, Howard Gardner and Ken Robinson. 

Community celebration of school year ending

Aside from school visits, time with new educator colleagues and friends, and navigating the subway system (which is like New York City's but much cleaner), I did manage to get to an art museum (the Malba, with an exhibit of revolutionary Mexican art, including Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera), Cafe Tortoni (where Borges hung his hat), the "Soho" district of Palermo (which is more like Williamsburg, in my view), the river district known as Porto Modero, and yes...an evening of tango!

Diego Rivera

Frida Kahlo

Cafe Tortoni

Paloma "Soho"

TANGO!