MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Buenos Aires Mayor highlights introduction of Guarani as a language taught at schools

“Education in the City is a serious priority,” insisted Jorge Macri

Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri stirred spirits among porteños on Monday as he announced that guaraní would be taught at primary schools. He made those remarks during his opening speech of the 2025 school year and as a result of a meeting last week with Paraguayan President Santiago Peña.

Macri's announcement was not welcome among Buenos Aires City residents who saw their taxes upped considerably and would rather have authorities focus on more “useful” languages such as English, already included in the curricula, albeit poorly.

The Mayor chose the Argentine-Chinese Bilingual School in the iconic Parque Patricios neighborhood not far from the City's Government Palace for his appearance.

The City head of Government also announced a change in the way Language and Mathematics are taught. “Education in the City is a serious priority, it is one of the best in the region and undoubtedly the best in Argentina,” he explained. “We want to be a reference, that is why we have been reviewing the contents and we started with a new curriculum to put more focus on language and mathematics,” the cousin of former President Mauricio Macri went on. Adjustments will also be introduced to the teaching of Art and Science.

“The new design that will be applied serves so that children can read fluently, understand what they read, write well, orally transmit their ideas in different contexts in a clear and precise way, solve problems related to everyday life, and have the ability to work autonomously and collaboratively,” Macri insisted.

“We will continue to invest in quality public education because that is what allows us to be free. What we learn at school transforms us. To bond with others and express our feelings we also have to be able to speak, so in addition to language and mathematics, we will focus on all emotional skills in primary school, which are very important,” he also pointed out while heralding innovations in line with the use of Artificial Intelligence, in addition to a greater use of digital tool for which 58,000 netbooks and were to be distributed throughout CABA schools.

“We changed the way we teach reading and writing and we did it based on evidence, on what we know works: we have to teach children in an explicit and structured way. We are responsible for that learning,” Buenos Aires City Education Minister Mercedes Miguel noted.

After meeting with Peña last week in Asunción, Macri said he told the Paraguayan President about the “transformations we are carrying out in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires,” particularly “the close bond that unites Buenos Aires with the great Paraguayan community.” On Monday, Macri highlighted that for many Buenos Aires children, guaraní was the language of their ancestors.