Argentina's Education Crisis: Social Media Use Surges as Reading Declines, Youth Face Vulnerability

Two out of three 11-year-old Argentines, or 66%, use social media daily. These children also read less, a trend that worries educators and raises concerns about cognitive development. This data comes from the latest Aprender test, administered to sixth-grade students nationwide.

Compounding the issue, a recent University of Buenos Aires report reveals that nearly half of young Argentines between 18 and 29 years old live in vulnerable conditions. This status often disconnects them from both the education system and the job market.

In Buenos Aires City, over half of companies (53.3%) report difficulty filling technical positions. A survey of 209 businesses by the city's Ministry of Education found that 84.1% of employers attribute this to a lack of basic skills among young applicants, while 66.7% cite insufficient education or specific training.

These interconnected problems, underdeveloped basic skills, youth exclusion from education and work, and businesses lacking needed talent, all point to a critical failure in education. The article questions the existence of national policies to bolster children's reading habits, support vulnerable youth, or align student training with market demands. The silence from national education officials on these pressing issues is described as deafening.

While the country may debate economic models, investment strategies, or growth sectors, any such plan is fundamentally limited by its foundation: citizens who can comprehend what they read, young people capable of continuous learning, and workers possessing the skills required by a modern economy. Without addressing these educational fundamentals, any national strategy is deemed insufficient.

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The results of the Aprender 2025 tests show concrete progress in student learning and confirm that evidence-based educational policies, evaluation, and joint work generate real improvements.