Argentina

While education is technically mandatory for all minors in the United States, it is only obligatory until the age of 14 in Argentina. Therefore, approximately half of the population continues to pursue a secondary education. It is required to undergo five years of secondary education before progressing into a university in Argentina.
Like many prestigious high schools, the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires has an admission process for those who wish to attend. The process consists of four exams: mathematics, history, geography and Spanish..
The competition is noticeable—out of the 750 freshmen applications, only 365 who passed the examinations were accepted in the last year. The tests intend to favor those capable of vigorous instruction and to maintain the prestige of the school, according to Argentine newspaper, La Nación.
Once admitted, students are required to fulfill a set of hours in classes according to their grade level per week. A curriculum consisting of language, science, social studies and art are spread out through a five-year period. Several major exams are required on a few academic topics in order to graduate: three for the Castilian language and mathematics; two for geography and history.
As a school year comes to an end, everyone may have a tradition to celebrate all the toils they have endured to maintain a good status, such as the radical extreme note and homework burning or anything that is pure “out-and-about” fun. For the Colegio’s students, there is the annual “Day of Arts” event held on a weekend at the end of the year. Once involving eggs and flour, students have turned it into a school-wide paint fight, resulting in a massive splatter of virtually every color on the spectrum.
By Staff Writer Johnny Huynh