Summarize this passage in 3-5 sentences
In many ways, the schools in Costa Rica, México, and Argentina are similar, and they are similar to the schools I went to as a child in España, and to schools here in los Estados Unidos. Today, you’ll learn about how schools in the Spanish-speaking world are set up and the types of skills and information that the students learn.
Costa Rica
Children in Costa Rica attend school from February to December. They have about two months off between December and February, as well as a few weeks off in July. Free public education is available to students from the ages of six to fifteen. Students attend either the morning or afternoon session, and students who attend public schools wear blue uniforms. Lately, many of the private schools have also adopted these same uniforms, much like in Los Estados Unidos.
Classrooms average about 28 students. Due to long-term efforts, technology is used in most classrooms with a final push planned to increase the technology levels in some rural communities that are lagging behind.
Despite the possible lack of up-to-date technology, Costa Rican children are some of the most literate children in Central America, with more than 96% of students being able to read when they finish school. Along with the standard school subjects, English is required of all students. So, not only are the children literate, they are also bilingual. Along with the public school system, parents have the option of choosing from two types of private schools: bilingual schools and English-only schools.
México
In México, children attend school from September through June. Students attend required classes Monday through Friday, and can take classes on Saturdays if they choose. Students wear uniforms and typically attend one of two split-day schedules: either from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Until 2012, students were required to attend school from the ages of 6 to 14. However, now secondary education is required, so students are technically required to attend school through age 18 or 19, although attendance in some areas is very low at the high school level, especially in rural areas with highly indigenous populations.
México has 62 indigenous groups that are recognized by the government. These groups speak more than 80 different languages. The children from these groups receive bilingual education that includes their native language and Spanish. Students who attend high school also receive English language instruction.
Classrooms average about 30 students. For years, there would typically only be about three computers available per classroom, but México is working to bring low-cost laptops into their schools, so some schools now have a higher computer-to-student ratio. Despite these ongoing efforts, México is still positioned in the lower ranks of technology in schools and Internet connectivity.
Argentina
In Argentina, students attend school from March through November. As of 2006, secondary education is a free public right, and students are required to attend. Prior to this change, students were required to attend school from age 6 to age 14. Many of the schools have split days in which half of the students attend in the morning and half attend in the afternoons. Public school students wear uniforms that consist of laboratory-type smocks worn over their regular clothes. Boys' and girls' smocks are similar, although the boys’ smocks button down the front and the girls’ smocks may button down the back.
Computer usage is on the rise in the schools of Argentina. In 2004, with help from local funding and a partnership with Microsoft and Intel, the founder of a private school in Argentina piloted a one-computer-to-one student program in one classroom. The results were so positive that the school expanded the program. Then other private schools followed suit. Since then, due to the marked increase in student involvement and learning results, the federal government made efforts to implement such programs in all public schools,
Students in Argentina are required to study a second language—usually English or French—as well as Spanish and other typical subjects, such as math, science, history, geography, music, technology, and physical education. In addition, children in Argentina study a relatively new discipline called belief systems—instruction provided by the school system with the intent to mold the children into thoughtful adults.