Argentina's Milei pushes sweeping reforms to dismantle public education

The government of Argentine President Javier Milei is advancing a "Law for Educational Freedom" that would shift schooling from public schools to homeschooling and private vouchers, removing the state from the core of education. Critics say the proposal threatens the constitutional right to free, compulsory education established by the 1884 Law 1420. Former education minister Daniel Filmus warned that "the only objective the Government has with this project is not to invest in education".

In parallel, a draft university financing bill seeks to market‑orient higher education by introducing admission exams, performance‑based budgeting and the possibility of tuition fees, while eroding guarantees of free access and equality. The proposal would replace the current framework that defines higher education as a public good and a human right. Both initiatives have sparked alarm among academics and civil society, who view them as a historic rollback of public education in Argentina.