Argentina’s literacy crisis: Less than half of kids under nine meet reading standards

By the end of the first cycle of primary school – a key stage in the development of reading skills – fewer than half of Argentina’s pupils are reading at the expected level, new data shows.

Just 45 percent of children aged eight to nine demonstrated sufficient reading comprehension, according to initial results from the Aprender Alfabetización 2024 evaluation.

A further 24.5 percent were still “in the process” of reaching the appropriate level, while a worrying 30.5 percent were found to be “significantly behind,” according to the Education Secretariat.

The figures come from the first edition of the tests carried out under President Javier Milei’s government. Conducted in November, 2024, the assessment involved over 91,000 students from 4,178 schools nationwide.

Due to changes in test structure and scoring, the results cannot be directly compared with previous years. Government officials described the new assessment as a “baseline” for future evaluations, with the next round scheduled for 2026.

Assessing performance

Unlike in previous tests, Aprender 2024 divided pupils into six performance levels. 

At the bottom, 3.3 percent of pupils were classed as “emergent readers,” only able to read words with picture support. This group had not been included in previous national summaries.

Levels 1 and 2 — accounting for a combined 27.1 percent — included those reading basic texts or identifying simple relationships.

Together, these three categories represent 30.5 percent of all pupils – three in 10 children failed to reach the expected level after at least five years of schooling.

Level 3 (24.5 percent) marked an intermediate stage, where pupils begin inferring meaning. Level 4 (26.4 percent) and Level 5 (18.7 percent) indicated strong to advanced comprehension — together making up the 45 percent deemed proficient by government standards.

Despite the lack of a nationwide benchmark, given the lack of comparison, the government presentation identified Levels 4 and 5 as the target.

National curriculum guidelines, known as Núcleos de Aprendizajes Prioritarios (NAP), require understanding of diverse texts but currently offer no clear definition of comprehension.

Background linked to performance

As in past editions of Aprender, test scores were closely linked to students’ socio-economic status (SES). Just 32 percent of children in the lowest SES bracket reached the expected level, compared to 66.8 percent in the highest.

Even among more advantaged groups, 12.3 percent remained below Level 2; that figure climbed to 44.4 percent for the most disadvantaged.

Pupils in private schools outperformed those in state schools by a wide margin – 62.4 percent to 39 percent. In contrast, the rural-urban gap was narrower: 43.3 percent in less populated areas reached proficient levels, versus 45.2 percent in schools in urban areas.

Provincial performance

The assessment forms part of the Federal Commitment to Literacy — an agreement between Argentina’s national and provincial governments signed in 2024. This included the development of 24 provincial literacy plans and one national strategy.

The report reveals striking differences between provinces — though not always due to the teaching methods used. Formosa led the rankings, with 63.6 percent of students achieving the expected level and an impressive 37 percent reaching Level 5. 

Next came Córdoba, where 58.8 percent of pupils reached the desired level, with 29.6 percent at the top level. 

Buenos Aires City reached 55.5 percent, while the provinces of Mendoza, Buenos Aires and La Pampa hovered around the mid-40s. Santa Fe lagged at 41.4 percent.

At the bottom, Chaco recorded just 34.2 percent of pupils reaching adequate standards. San Juan (37 percent) and Misiones (38 percent) also fell below average. 

Notably, Santiago del Estero exceeded several wealthier regions, with 47 percent meeting expectations.

Participation, updated methods

The results were presented by María Cortelezzi, Undersecretary for Education Data and Evaluation, alongside officials Florencia Sourrouille and Magdalena Benvenuto. They highlighted the highest participation rate since the programme began: 86.9 percent of pupils and 97.4 percent of schools took part. 

Neuquén was an exception, with just 34 percent of pupils sitting the test, meaning the province’s results may not be representative.

Officials also detailed methodological changes since 2016, including a wider range of texts and more tailored questions. These adjustments aim to better assess performance, particularly at lower levels.

Full national and provincial reports are due by the end of May.

– TIMES/PERFIL