The growth of higher education in Argentina during the XX century has been sustained, with periods of greatest expansion (1950/1955, 1974/75, and 1984 forward) coinciding with processes of the recuperation and strengthening of democracy and of progressive governments. The opposite situation - of smaller growth or decline in growth - has occurred during periods of military dictatorship - unfortunately at various times during the XX century, with oligarchic and anti-popular higher education policies.

Another aspect to be noted in terms of the democratization of higher education in the country is the university reform movement of 1918, with a significant impact on Argentina and all of Latin American up to the present. Beginning with the university reform and its guidelines, Argentina soon began the process of expansion and democratization of higher education. (1)According to the national population census of 1960, Argentina was at that time the sixth country in the world in terms of the enrolment/population ratio of the country, with the highest rate of all Latin American countries and larger than that of the majority of European countries.

This situation deteriorated during the military dictatorships of 1966-1973 and 1976-1983, with a process of recuperation continuing since 1983. In the 1984-2006 period, the average annual rate of growth of enrolment in higher education was approximately 8% - the highest of the entire Argentine education system compared to the other levels.

In 2006, the gross university schooling rate was 48.9% (for the population 20-24 years of age). The total higher education schooling rate - including non-university enrolment – was 66.1% (for the population 20-24 years of age) and 46.8% (for the population 18-24 years of age).

Public university access policies mostly favoured unrestricted and free entry as a strategy to foster equal opportunities and equity, except in some courses, especially that of medicine and scientific-technological fields. In the latter, examinations or very selective entry courses are required. In general, only between 20% and 30% of candidates enter. Other universities have organized preparatory entrance courses that tend to resolve the training problems that candidates bring with them from secondary education.

Private universities have very diverse systems, depending on their institutional strategies. The issue of access to universities in Argentina is a subject of on-going debate, generating controversy -often quite polarized -in society and within universities.

The serious problem of equity and social inclusion in Argentina is not, however, that of access. Rather, it is the high rates of student drop-out in higher education - especially in universities. Although unfortunately there is no precise information in this regard, it is estimated that between 40% and 50% of students who annually enter national universities abandon their courses during the first year (in some universities, the rate reaches 60%). A smaller, but still significant number do so during the second and subsequent years (Source: Ministry of Education, 2006). It is estimated that only about 15% of those who enter graduate. Although there are no studies in this regard, one may state that most of the drop-outs are students who are in the lower and middle-lower social sectors.

In general, various causes are cited for such as high rate of failure. Those external to universities are connected to the socio-economic problems of students - which oblige the majority to work up to 35/40 hours per week -, training difficulties that the bring from previous educational levels (especially from secondary education), lack of appropriate vocational guidance, etc. Among causes internal to universities, one notes deficient learning conditions during the first years, scarce resources (laboratories, texts, computer equipment, etc.), pedagogical modalities inappropriate for helping students in the difficult transition to higher education, study plans and program of slight interest, very long courses without intermediate exits, inadequately trained professors, etc.

The Secretariat of University Policies, together with national universities, is inaugurating various projects aimed at improving this situation and at contributing to better serving entering students -especially those in more underprivileged socio-economic and employment situations. Among these programs are those that implement a system of tutoring and guidance (until now almost non-existent in the Argentine university system), appropriate training of tutors, and better pedagogical training of first-year teachers, strategies aimed at overcoming cognitive and aptitude problems of entering students, links with the activities of secondary schools, etc.


By Norberto Fernández Lamarra

(1)N. Fernández Lamarra, La educación superior argentina en debate, Eudeba-IESALC, Buenos Aires, 2003

Norberto Fernández Lamarra He is a specialist, researcher, and national consultant in the area of education planning and management, with emphasis on the latter years of higher education. He is Director of Graduate Studies of the Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero (UNTREF) where, in addition, he directs the Inter-Disciplinary Centre of Training and Studies for the Development of Education (Masters and specializations), and the Inter-Institutional Doctoral Program in Education, UNTREF/UNLa. He is a graduate professor at various Argentine universities and those of other Latin American countries. He is a Category 1 Researcher. He heads the Argentine Society of Comparative Studies in Education. He works regularly as a consultant for UNESCO – especially IESALC – and for other international agencies. He is the author of more than 100 publications, studies, books, and articles on Argentine and Latin American education. His recent publications include, among others, “Veinte años de educación en la Argentina. Balance y perspectivas”, OREALC/UNESCO-EDUNTREF, Buenos Aires, November, 2002; “La educación superior argentina en debate. Situación, problemas y perspectivas”, Eudeba-IESALC / UNESCO, May. 2003; “Educación Superior. Convergencia entre América Latina y Europa. Procesos de evaluación y acreditación de la calidad”, José-Ginés Mora and Norberto Fernández Lamarra (Coordinators), Proyecto ALFA-ACRO, Comisión Europea, EDUNTREF, Buenos Aires, June, 2005; “Política, Planeamiento y Gestión de la Educación. Modelos de Simulación en Argentina”, Norberto Fernández Lamarra (Editor) and others, UNESCO-EDUNTREF, Buenos Aires, April, 2006; “Educación Superior y Calidad en América Latina y Argentina”, Norberto Fernández Lamarra, EDUNTREF-IESALC/UNESCO, Buenos Aires, June, 2007; and “Universidad, Sociedad e Innovación. Una perspectiva internacional”, Norberto Fernández Lamarra (Coordinator), Proyecto RILEUS, EDUNTREF (to be published).

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