Primary and secondary education in Argentina

In Argentina, primary education is called educación primaria and lasts for 6 or 7 years. This depends on the province. Pupils start primary education at age 6. Secondary education is called educación secundaria. It lasts for 5 years (in provinces where primary education lasts for 7 years) or 6 years (in provinces where primary education lasts for 6 years).

Streams in secondary education

There are different streams in secondary education:

Compulsory education

Compulsory education starts from the age of 4, so from the last 2 years of pre-school education (educación inicial). It stays compulsory until the end of secondary education.

Bachiller - educación secundaria orientada

  • Duration: 5 or 6 years.
  • Content: for the first 2 or 3 years (ciclo básico), all students follow the same subjects. These are mainly general education subjects. From the 3rd or 4th year (ciclo orientado), they choose a subject combination (especialidad or orientación) and follow subjects for that. They can choose from different subject combinations, such as:
    • agro y ambiente (agriculture and environment); or
    • ciencias naturales (natural sciences).
      Most subject combinations are general education. Some also have vocational subjects.
  • Function of the diploma: access to higher education and work.
  • Diploma: one of the following diplomas:
    • Bachiller en agro y ambiente;
    • Bachiller en ciencias naturales;
    • Bachiller en ciencias sociales (y humanidades);
    • Bachiller en comunicacion;
    • Bachiller en economía y administración;
    • Bachiller en educación;
    • Bachiller en educación física;
    • Bachiller en informática;
    • Bachiller en lenguas;
    • Bachiller en turismo.
      Please note: instead of ‘en’, it sometimes says ‘con orientación’ or 'especialidad' the diploma.

We usually compare a Bachiller of an educación secundaria orientada subject combination to a diploma, or sometimes to a HAVO diploma with vocational subjects. This depends on the content of the course.

Bachiller/Técnico - educación secundaria modalidad artística

If students successfully complete the art stream of secondary education (educación secundaria artística), they are awarded a Bachiller or a Técnico. Within the art stream, students can choose from different subject combinations and corresponding specialisations. These determine which diploma students can get in the end.

  • Duration: usually 5 or 6 years.
  • Content: for the first 2 or 3 years (ciclo básico), all students follow the same subjects. These are mainly general education subjects. From the 3rd or 4th year (ciclo orientado), they choose a subject combination and a corresponding specialisation. They follow subjects for that. They can choose from these subject combinations:
    • secundaria orientada: students follow general education subjects and some (vocational) art subjects from their subject combination. They get a Bachiller en arte + subject combination at the end;
    • especializada: in this stream, students take slightly more (vocational) art subjects than in the secundaria orientada subject combination. At the end, they get a Bachiller + a subject combination (especialidad) in art;
    • artístico-técnica: in this stream, students take slightly more (vocational) art subjects than in the secundaria orientada subject combination. At the end, they get a Técnico in an art subject combination or profession.
  • Function of the diploma: access to higher education and work.
  • Diploma: this depends on the subject combination and corresponding specialisation.
    These are the diplomas of the secundaria orientada subject combination:
    • Bachiller en arte artes visuales
    • Bachiller en arte audiovisuales
    • Bachiller en arte danza
    • Bachiller en arte diseño
    • Bachiller en arte multimedia
    • Bachiller en arte música
    • Bachiller en arte teatro
      These are the diplomas of the especializada subject combination:
    • Bachiller en artes visuales especialidad en céramica/escultura/ grabado/pintura
    • Bachiller en danza especialidad en clásica/contemporánea/expresión corporal/folklórica
    • Bachiller en música especialidad en canto/instrumento
    • Bachiller en teatro especialidad en teatro popular y comunitario
      These are the diplomas of the artístico-técnica subject combination:
    • Técnico en + subject combination, such as Técnico en cerámica; or
    • Técnico + profession in the art sector, such as Técnico Escenógrafo.

Please note: instead of 'en' it sometimes says 'con orientación' or 'especialidad' on the diploma.

We usually compare a Bachiller of the educación secundaria modalidad artística stream (subject combination: secundaria orientada) with a HAVO diploma, sometimes with a HAVO diploma with vocational subjects.

We compare a Bachiller of the educación secundaria modalidad artística stream (subject combination: especializada) to a HAVO diploma with vocational subjects.

We compare a Técnico of the educación secundaria modalidad artística stream (subject combination: artístico-técnica) to a HAVO diploma with vocational subjects.

Técnico – educación secundaria modalidad técnico profesional

Students who successfully complete the vocational stream of secondary education (educación secundaria modalidad técnico profesional) get a Técnico.

  • Duration: 6 or 7 years.
  • Content: during the first 2 or 3 years (ciclo básico), students mainly follow general education subjects. From the 3rd or 4th year (ciclo orientado), they choose a subject combination (modalidad or sector) and a corresponding specialisation (especialidad or subsector). They take subjects for that. These are mainly vocational subjects, usually in the field of engineering. The Spanish-language website of the Ministerio de Educación y Deportes lists all subject combinations (under 'Sector') and specialisations (under 'Subsector').
  • Admission requirements: students must have completed primary education.
  • Function of the diploma: work or access to higher education.
  • Diploma: Técnico or Técnico en + the subject combination.

We compare a Técnico with a subject combination of the educación secundaria modalidad técnico profesional stream with an diploma level 4.

Please note: you can only use this comparison if you want to check whether a diploma can give access to Dutch higher education. If you want to know what the level of this diploma is because you are looking for work, please contact IDW. The diploma also can be compared to another MBO level.