The forgotten Half: Argentinean Emerging Adults not attending college

ALICIA FACIO; SANTIAGO RESETT; CLARA MISTRORIGO

San Francisco, California, Estados Unidos

Congreso; 115º Convención anual de la American Psychosocial Association; 2007

American Psychosocial Association

In Argentina, the percentage of young people not considering themselves entirely adult is very similar to that of the United State. In Argentina, 82% of adolescents attend secondary school, at age 18-24 only 43% have completed twelve-year schooling due to important problems in school performance. An unusual feature of Argentinian higher education, however, facilitates their attending college for some time after graduating from high school: the vast majority of students are enrolled in public institutions where no fees are charged and no entrance examinations are required, rendering it easier than in other countries to explore alternatives in the field of education. This is the reason why 39% of 18-24-year-old population -36% males and 41% females- is enrolled in higher education although, unfortunately, only 10% of them finally graduate. Young people not attending college differ from those enrolled in higher education as regards their self-concept, psychological wellbeing, psychosocial maturity -self-reliance and work orientation- and behavior problems to a lesser extent than it is found in other countries.