Classes begin today with the promise of 190 days and new measures to improve learning

It is already noticeable at the entrances and street crossings. At bus stops, parking lots... and in the double parking prohibited by law. This Monday, February 24 , as in ten other jurisdictions in the country, the 2025 school year began in Mendoza at the initial, primary, secondary and special levels. Meanwhile, the start of classes at the Higher Education Institutes (IES) is scheduled for March 17.

The General Directorate of Schools (DGE) promised improvements and a comprehensive approach to literacy, mathematics, technical education and digitalization.

The budget for school works and repairs will be doubled, reaching a direct investment of $39.3 billion, and an additional $37.727 billion will be allocated for the construction of 33 new schools throughout the province.

The school year start ceremony was held this Monday at 9 a.m. in the department of San Martín with the presence of Governor Alfredo Cornejo, along with the Minister of Education, Culture, Children and DGE, Tadeo García Zalazar. It was held at Kindergarten 0-077, located on 6 de noviembre, corner of Malvinas Argentinas, in the Procrear neighborhood.

2025 school year start-up ceremony in San Martín, Mendoza. In the photo, the Minister of Education, Culture, Children and DGE, Tadeo García Zalazar, talking with SUTE.

In our province there are 1,130 pre-schools, with an enrollment of 86,155 children; 869 primary schools that accommodate 235,621 students; and 401 secondary schools that receive 141,453 adolescents.

Regarding collective bargaining, the United Union of Education Workers ( SUTE ) accepted the 13% salary proposal presented by the provincial government: a 7% increase for March, 2.5% in April, 2% in May and 1.5% in June. It includes increases in the guaranteed minimum teacher salary from $610,000 in March.

The DGE approved a school calendar for all levels of state and private education in Mendoza, guaranteeing 190 effective days of classes, as established by the Federal Education Council (CFE).

The calendar exceeds the legal minimum of 180 days set by the National Education Law No. 25,864. As planned, the winter holidays will be from Monday 7 to Sunday 20 July , coinciding with other provinces and facilitating the organization of recreational and tourist activities.

The PISA test , aimed at 15-year-old students, will be held between August and September.

The Mendoza Mejora Aprendiendo Matemática program will be carried out in two stages: April (secondary school) and November (primary and secondary school). The Aprender tests will be carried out in November.

The school year will end on Friday, December 19 for students and on Tuesday, December 23 for teachers and administrators. The schedule also includes institutional training and evaluation days, as established by provincial resolution No. 6,180.

On Sunday night, students entering their 5th or 6th year of high school gathered for the preview of their Last First Day (UPD), where there is often excess with alcohol and other substances.

For this reason, the Directorate of School Support (DAE) , dependent on the General Directorate of Schools , proposed some advice to address the routine that adolescents in the province practice when beginning the last year of secondary school.

Carina Gannam, director of School Support, explained to Los Andes that a guide was sent to the schools to help them understand how to welcome students on this day.

"From the DAE we have proposed to hold a shared breakfast , which brings together the students, their parents, teachers and management. But, in addition, we have proposed the idea of ​​appointing a leader who acts as a reference within the group of children and has the role of communicating or calling a responsible adult, in case it is needed," he said.

"The UPD is not just a day, but parents should have that space for dialogue before the celebration. This is a before, during and after," the official reflected.

What is the UPD, the Last First Day of Secondary School, which became an uncontrolled ritual

The Ministry of Education, Children, Culture and DGE have proposed a series of initiatives to be implemented in 2025, based on the achievements of the previous year. These actions cover everything from early childhood to higher education, with a comprehensive focus on literacy, mathematics, technical education and digitalization.

Early Childhood

• The coordination between Early Childhood Education Centres (CEPI) and the initial level will be strengthened.
• The creation of 3-year-old classrooms and multiple classrooms will be doubled, reaching more than 300 throughout the province, with the goal of universalizing 3-year-old classrooms by 2027.
• The early literacy program Language Nutrition, which is supported by the World Bank and currently reaches 94 classrooms in 40 kindergartens, will be extended in 2025 to all 2-year-old classrooms in CEPIs.

Literacy

• The distribution of textbooks to 2nd and 3rd grade students in state and private institutions will be expanded with a zero fee.
• Teacher training and support in schools will continue.
• Integrated knowledge will be strengthened for students with weakened educational trajectories.
• A reading fluency census will be implemented from 1st grade of primary school to 5th/6th year of secondary school.
• Reading comprehension assessments will be carried out in 3rd and 6th grade of primary school and 1st year of secondary school.

Mathematics

• Progress will be made in the second stage of the Mendoza Improves Learning Mathematics program.
• Basic knowledge will be implemented from 4-year-old classroom to sixth year of secondary school, with monitoring in the field.
• Materials will be distributed in different formats and a virtual mathematics classroom will be set up for secondary school students.
• The leveling of mathematical knowledge will be guaranteed for 100% of students entering secondary school.
• Networks of mathematics teachers at primary and secondary levels will be strengthened.
• A mathematics conference will be held in October.
• A census assessment of mathematical learning will be carried out from the 5-year-old classroom to the 5th/6th year of secondary school.

Technical Education

• A credit system will be implemented so that students from 10 secondary schools can have their first year of studies recognised at a higher level.
• Job placement certificates will be awarded to high school students in conjunction with the CCT and CFP.
• Infrastructure surveys, solar panels installation and classroom construction will be carried out.

Education for Youth and Adults

• The unification of establishments will begin in order to optimize resources and improve management, without affecting the structure of courses or teachers.
• Educational centres will be given a higher ranking with the creation of more than 50 management positions through a competition for management hierarchies.
• Efforts will be made to reduce the dropout rate from 50% to 30%.

CEPAS: Professional Education Centers for Adults at Secondary Level

• 12 new CEPAS will be opened in different departments of the province.
• These institutions will allow the completion of secondary education with certification in areas such as Programming, Electricity, Gastronomy and Audiovisual Production.

Higher education

• Curricula for technical courses will be updated according to the demands of the socio-productive and industrial sectors.
• A scholarship program will be implemented with allocation and permanence criteria based on academic performance.

Special Education

• Enrollment in the inclusion support service increased by 11.6%.
• Currently, 6,413 students receive support at different educational levels.

Digital Education

• The use of artificial intelligence platforms will be expanded to reach 150 primary schools and 100 secondary schools by 2025.
• The Cumbre English platform will be implemented for 7th grade and high school.
• 700 digital mobile carts will be distributed to primary and secondary schools.

Comprehensive Educational Management (GEI)

• New modules and functions will be incorporated into the GEM system to improve management and access to educational information.
• A module will be enabled for the management of assessment shifts for students with disabilities.

School Infrastructure

• The budget for school works and repairs will be doubled , reaching a direct investment of $39.3 billion.
• An additional $37.727 million will be allocated for the construction of 33 new schools throughout the province.