School System

The school system... hmmm. I hardly know where to begin...

To start, the seasons (weather and school) are opposite. The school season just follows the pattern of weather. Therefore, when I arrived in Argentina, it was the end of my summer break in the US but the end of the 1st semester here. New country, new language, and the middle of school.

For one, there are two different, umm, shifts: morning and afternoon. I go to school in the afternoon 'shift' from 1:15pm 'til 6:30pm. It's a curse and a blessing in one. On the upside, I can sleep in everyday and can have the pleasant leisure of doing nothing until school. The downside: no one does anything until school so you waste half of your day. Those that who go in the morning, yeah they have to wake up early, but the also have the rest of the afternoon free to do sports, hang out, or anything. ANYWAY...

 There is a week schedule as opposed to a the same classes in a daily routine. Instead, there are 3 main periods of an 1hr 30min and a finally post-hour of 45 minutes in the day. It works as a sort of block schedule.

The biggest difference, is that teachers change classes, not students. You have a set homeroom and always work from it. The downside to this is that there is no choosing classes. You have a set schedule with all the same classes as your friends, as well as your frienemies, arch-enemies and not-so-friends people you dislike.

Uniforms! The uniform is easy with a white shirt and blue pants, but not jeans. Usually sweatpants. It's a gift and a curse too. It's easy to decide what you are going to where each day. (Hmmm, the clean one or the dirty one?) It illuminates creates an environment where everyone is the same. No division of the 'plastics' because of clothing. However, they also illuminate individuality in expression. Even if they are comfortable, they are not the most flattering outfit to be wearing everyday.

What else... P.E! It's a required class. Everyone has it twice a week. I have it in the morning at 8am Mondays and Wednesdays. I guess I lied when I said I get to sleep in everyday.

I have stated the obvious differences. Actually, of everything in Argentina so far, the school system is by far the most different. However, I've also come to realize that the goal of both systems are the same which makes them more similar than different. In the end, everyone covers the same basic subjects: math, science, language, and history.

~ From Argentina with Love