Overview
- An education report estimates that Argentine primary students miss more than 30 school days each year, cutting the average from 185 planned days to about 155 and adding up to roughly one full year lost over primary school.
- International studies cited in the analysis show that even 4 to 5 missed days a year reduce learning, and around 10 days link to worse exam results and lower odds of finishing secondary school.
- Directors flagged the problem in national testing: in Aprender 2023, 49.3% of primary principals named student absenteeism as the top factor hurting sixth‑grade learning.
- Teacher absences also erode learning time, with an average of 13 strike days recorded in 2024 and higher peaks in provinces such as Río Negro, Santa Cruz and Santa Fe.
- Local fallout has started in Mar del Plata, where officials confirmed only 67% daily attendance in municipal secondary schools and said school meal planning is based on that average, prompting calls for detailed attendance and policy data.