MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Malvinas, magic word for Argentine children naming their schools

Malvinas and world famous cardio-surgeon René Favaloro were the most popular names voted by students, teachers and parents for 32 schools from the Province of Buenos Aires. The initiative is part of the coming commemoration of Argentina’s bicentennial on May 25th 2010.

Under a recent bill the 6.375 schools managed by the provincial government and identified by numbers, have until May 25th of 2010 to vote a name for their schools. Another 6.175 schools that already have names are entitled to vote for a change. Names barred are those of people who have been sentenced for human rights violations or crimes against humanity even when they could have been pardoned.

Out of approximately a thousand schools already in the name selection process 32 were chosen at random, according to a piece in La Nacion. At one of them, a school in La Plata, number 13, four names came up: Juana Azurduy, Juan Jose de Urquiza, Ernesto Guevara and Malvinas Soldiers. The vote was also opened to former school children and neighbours and the overwhelming result was “Malvinas Soldiers”.

Six of the 32 schools chosen at random have names linked to Malvinas. Another school in Zaraté chose “Malvinas Heroes”; yet another in Monte Grande and San Fernando voted for “Cruiser ARA General Belgrano”; “Malvinas Argentinas” in Pinamar and Heroes of Malvinas in José C. Paz.

Four other schools voted to identify themselves with cardio-surgeon René Favaloro while others opted for renowned painters such as Florencio Molina Campos (famous for his gauchos), Benito Quinquela Martin an Xul Solar. Five others chose names related to recent events: “Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo” (mothers of the disappeared during the military dictatorships); Azucena Villaflor (founder of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo) and journalist Rodolfo Walsh also linked to the fight for human rights.

Famous teachers and feminists also honoured schools with their names. “We’re returning to the healthy tradition of naming streets and avenues to honour personalities of our history, which is important to recreate the spirit of May 1810 when we are ready to celebrate the bicentennial of Argentina”, said Benito Oporto coordinator of the schools naming system.

The case of school number 13 is emblematic. “When the idea of giving the school a name was launched, we thought about something linked to its creation 26 years ago, in an old military building, but we needed a consensus”, said Emilia Rivas who has been teaching in the school for 25 years.

A mock election was organized with four areas from where to chose names: “history and politics; science and technology; art and culture and sports. Children opted for the first and four names cropped up”, said Cecilia Vismara, language and literature teacher.

The four names were printed in ballots, Juana Azurduy, Juan Justo de Urquiza, Ernesto Guevara and Malvinas Soldiers and the children organized ballots and the voting. Parents, teachers, former students, neighbours and the current school children participated and the Malvinas proposal was ahead with 905 votes.

“We also want to give schools the chance to change their names particularly if they were opened or baptized during the military regimes”, added Oporto.