The “General San Martín” Higher Polytechnic Institute is a technical high school in the city of Rosario, belonging to the National University of Rosario.
Brief history
The Industrial School of the Nation was created by Law No. 5012 of the National Congress, issued on September 26, 1906. It was inaugurated in 1907, beginning its activities with a meager student population of only 28 students. In the articles of the law, the motivations and objectives of the creation are expressed, destined to impart technical education to young people who wished to dedicate themselves to industrial careers. The city of Rosario, located on the banks of the Paraná River and in the south of the province of Santa Fe, as well as its area of influence, lacked significant industrial development and the population, still dedicated almost exclusively to commercial and agricultural-livestock activities, was initially reluctant to the change that was proposed. Proof of this were the enormous efforts necessary to maintain the functioning of the School in its first years of existence.
From its creation and until 1920, the School depended on the Ministry of Public Instruction of the Nation. As of that date, it became dependent on the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, as an annex to the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical-Chemical and Natural Sciences applied to Industry. From that moment, the Industrial School became, in fact, the institution that prepared, through its middle cycle, the future entrants to the university careers of said Faculty. This was, in fact, the objective of the first years.
The increase in population, fundamentally due to immigration, was the main factor in the economic development of commerce and industry. Consequently, this gradual industrial development brought with it a considerable increase in the number of graduates who did not follow university studies, but instead devoted themselves fully to the labor field, with high professional qualifications. In other cases, parallel to the work as a technician, many tackled higher studies.
As a consequence, the initial objective was expanded, in the face of a new reality, making it necessary to train technicians of the highest professional level, regardless of whether they continued university studies. In 1961, the objectives were unquestionably set, when it was established that the School should not train future engineering students, nor qualified workers, but rather the middle layer of industry executives, who would be the link between the upper and lower levels of the structure. occupational, thus having its own profile. This led to the fact that, during 1962 / 63, a substantial change in the study plans was proposed, which included the following aspects: update of plans and programs, departmentalized teaching structure, re-equipment of laboratories and workshops, renovation of the didactic material, modification of the promotion regime and permanent evaluation of the process of teaching and learning.
Compatible with the new objectives, a variant of the educational structure was produced, giving a vertical articulation at the 5th year level, technical high school; with admission to any university career and a diversified technical cycle, IPR technician; with a total of 7 years of study.
The new educational structure began to be applied as of 1969. On March 19 of that year, the Rosario School was renamed the “General San Martín” Polytechnic Institute of Rosario, a name that was more in keeping with the new functions and objectives. Later, by National Decree No. 2603 of June 25, 1970, the Polytechnic Institute became a direct dependency of the National University of Rosario, created in 1968 ; disassociating itself from the Faculty of Exact Sciences, Engineering and Architecture, as corresponds to an institution that has its own objectives.
Being a university school that provides secondary education, «its existence is justified if modern methods are applied in its operation, especially those not yet tried in the country; In other words, the institution must act as a pilot school and pedagogical research center, a transmitter of its educational experiences. In fact, its graduates must be first class. Given its characteristics as a pilot school, established in the Statute of the National University of Rosario, the Polytechnic Institute was able to complete one more stage of the cycle of ordering and rational structuring of the teaching that is taught there, planning it appropriately for its area of study. influence. the Puma
Subsequently, in 1975, the institution was renamed “General San Martín” Higher Polytechnic Institute, thus opening the way to tertiary level education, which in fact existed through the training of optical technicians, with a student population from, in the majority, from ordinary high school.
Currently, new tertiary level careers have been incorporated to meet the demands of the productive and business sector. This is how the specialty of Plastics and Elastomers is being developed, which is part of an agreement with the German Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), which collaborates with an important provision of equipment, technical advice and teacher training.
In the town of El Trébol, near the city of Rosario, the specialty of Food Technology is developed. Meanwhile, in Rosario, the specialties of Construction, Electronic Systems, Systems Analyst, Optics, Chemistry, Mechatronics and Industrial Organization are developed.
As of 2010, admitted students are under a new study plan that involves 6 years (3 years common to all courses and 3 years of specialization) with a technical degree in the following specialties: Chemistry, Mechanics, Industrial Plants, Constructions, Electronics and Computers.
Featured Students
From their classrooms they graduated, among others:
- Roberto Fontanarrosa, writer and humorist, who studied until the third year.
- Miguel Lifschitz, former Mayor of Rosario and former Governor of Santa Fe.
- Pablo Granados, humorist, singer-songwriter and keyboardist.
- Luis Rubio, comedian and actor, creator of the character Éber Ludueña.
- Pablo Marini, former player and coach of Club Atlético Newell’s Old Boys.
- Oscar Bertone, a journalist with a long career in Rosario.
- Esteban Corsi, player of the Argentine Water Polo Team.
Polytechnic Mystique
On September 25 of each year, on the eve of the anniversary of the founding of the Polytechnic, the Taburetazo (massive gathering of alumni) is celebrated.
Other meetings organized by the CEP (Polytechnic Student Center) are the Polirock and the Poliacústico (organized since 2003 by the Department of Cultural Extension based on a proposal made by Professor Roxana Ascierto inspired by the purchase of a guitar).
List of tertiary majors
- University Systems Analyst.
- University Technician in Optics.
- University Technician in Plastics and Elastomers.
- University Technician in Chemistry.
- University Technician in Electronic Systems.
- University Technician in Mechatronics.
- University Technician in Management and Production.
- University Technician in Construction.
