Cuba and Argentina are in Latin America Essay Example for Free

Cuba and Argentina are in Latin America Essay Although both Cuba and Argentina are in Latin America, they still have differences in cultures and even in educational systems. Moreover, despite the fact that these two countries are close in terms of literacy rates (although Argentina is slightly higher than that of Cuba), the two countries have much differences in educational practices. In Cuba, the government subsidize education at all levels. This makes the education in this country extensively state-directed. A lot of public dispute and politics covers the education, being state-directed. The bulk of the tax burden of the people are mainly allocated for education. Education has been the top priority of the country when it comes to funding expenditures and extra projects. Cuba is praised for showing an extravagant and long-lasting effort to ensure the quality of education services that their youth receive. There is a free compulsory primary education for all Cuban children age 6 to 15. The government subsidizes even the higher education. However, this scenario also implies negative impacts. Since the government â€Å"trains† its youth, they also rate them according to their political beliefs. Students have their own â€Å"Cumulative School File. This is like a report card that goes beyond documenting academic standing. It is the record of the student’s political thinking. Anyone who has join protests against the government is hindered to have more opportunities of the higher education or universities. This is also applicable even for the employed people. Some of the students are expelled from school and others are dismissed from work for the employed ones. The control of the government over the people last in more or less a lifetime because this â€Å"report card† are updated. All of the students are expected to have the Marxist way of thinking towards the government and politics. On the other hand, Argentina government is less rigid when it comes to education. They also have the compulsory primary education for children ages 6 to 14 years of age. All children of these ages are mandated to attend the primary education that lasts 12 years. There is no longer compulsory education for the high school level although they could still have affordable high school education offerings. However, half of those who attended the compulsory primary education do not continue to high school. Yet, Argentina is still among the countries who have the most number of degree holders in relation to their population. These two Latin American countries are the same and yet different in a number of aspects in education. Indeed, both countries give importance to education. The government allot an adequate amount of resources to education. This is true since they even have legislated a law that could legalize a mandated primary education for Argentina and in all levels in the case of Cuba. Both are strict when it comes to age requirement for the grade levels. However, their approaches towards the implementation of quality education are different. In Argentina, students who have finished the primary education are allowed to choose in what school they will pursue. Moreover, they have the decision whether they would continue or stop schooling. The students and their family can choose among the various schools that are affordable. On the other hand, Cuba goes beyond the primary education. The government subsidizes education up to the highest level. However, the bearing is that it can decide for the future of the student. The student and his family should agree with the government in all aspects so that he or she could enroll in the best universities. The government does not only have the political power but also the power to have the youth favor to them. Now, if the students from these two countries migrate to the United States of America, they may have the same cultural adjustment problems. Both speaks the same language, and thus both may have the same learning and communication styles. The both may also have the same expected problems when they are brought to the US classrooms. Basically, the problems that may arise from the immigration of the students may be classified into three: intercultural communication, learning styles, and adolescence (Introduction to Immigration in US, 2001). In the United of States of America, government provides education for the people. It could either be on the federal, state, or local level. Because there is allotted budget for education, it is compulsory to avail these education benefits. Children from four to 18 years old are required to undergo the basic education. Moreover, formal education in the US is being held in public, private and home schools. The schooling is divided into kindergarten up to twelfth grade. There are many universities among the numerous states. The students from Cuba and Argentina are expected to have problems intercultural communication. This means not only their difference in language but also the differences in diverse cultures. This may be called a crash of culture or others termed this as â€Å"culture shock. † For example, in the US, the common form of greeting is handshake. On the other hand, in Cuba and Argentina, it is common to give hugs even among the boys, but in the United Sates, this form of greeting is given for those who are already closely related to each other. Another intercultural communication conflict may also be attributed to the differences in religion. The people of Argentina and Cuba relatively have different religion to the majority of the people in the United States. The Cubans and Argentineans are mostly Roman Catholic while the Americans are mostly Protestants. There may be some differences or even conflicts in religious practices and even celebrations. The second type of problem that may arise among the immigrating students is the differences in learning styles. The communication styles also differ from the two countries. People in the United States are a lot more direct in the matter of speaking than the two other countries. Moreover, noises in the American classroom setting are common. This may be distracting to the Cuban and Argentinean students who are used to formal and quiet classroom setting. The third issue is the adolescence of the students. Adolescents struggle with identity issues. This process may be more difficult and complicated for the students who have migrated. They may try to cope with these differences and tend to cover or set aside their own culture. This may cause emotional and social chaos to the student. Statement Prompt The main difference between the education in the United Sates and the education in Argentina is that the former has longer basic education. In Argentina, the compulsory basic education lasts until the student is 14 years old while the basic education is compulsory until the students in the United States are 18 years of age. The basic education in US involves more grade level and classification. More often than not, after the long basic education, the students are qualified to work. Many of the students in US work while studying in college. The long basic education aims to make the students independent and included in the working force of the state. Nevertheless, these problems may be adequately addressed. There are recommendations to smoothen the learning and coping process of the students. First, the teacher has to be aware of the differences of culture among the diverse types of students in the class. The teacher should have the initiative to lessen the crash of culture among the students. He or she should have adequate knowledge about the nature of the immigrant students. This is not to encourage them to change but to let them preserve their culture in their very rights (Introduction to Immigration in US, 2001). Moreover, the teacher should also help the student to have faster English-learning process. He or she should encourage the students to speak English in and even out of the class. Although he is not the student’s English teacher, he should still be patient to talk the student. Lastly, the family of the immigrant students should also be acquainted to the educational system in the United States. â€Å"New comer† programs are effective to encourage the students and even their families to participate more in the school programs. This will make them trust that the school can help the child regardless of the differences in culture. There should be trainings about language skills, work skills and even cultural adaptations program especially for the students. Reasons for immigration may be different but the adaptation that needs to be done may be the same. The differences in culture may be settled in effective communication. Although there are also differences in manners of communication itself, compromising is universal to resolve conflict: crash of culture for this matter. The educational systems may also be different but the goal of education is universal too, learning, knowledge and may be wisdom are the goals of the people who avail education. Reference: Introduction to Immigration in the United States. 2001. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Available at: http://www. nwrel. org/cnorse/booklets/immigration/5. html#overall