Educational inequalities in Argentina: synchronic analysis of the situation and school trajectory of different cohorts of children and adolescents

Abstract

This article presents a synchronic analysis of the schooling situation and the educational trajectories of four cohorts of children and adolescents, whose ages correspond to the initial and advanced phases of primary and secondary studies, according to the theoretical trajectories defined by the Argentine educational system. Intra-cohort and inter-cohort disparities are reported in relation to: school system coverage, over-age, drop-out, and termination; the acquisition of computer skills and foreign languages; and academic performance. The article is based on the secondary analysis of the data from the Enes-Pisac survey and the standardized Aprender tests of the National Ministry of Education. The results show strong educational inequalities, despite the high level of coverage of the school system, mainly associated with socioeconomic factors, the type of school management and the region of residence.