Strengthening Education in Colombia
Colombia, located at the northernmost end of South America, has recently become an emerging power among second-world countries. Despite its prominent role in global trade and growing economy, some sectors of Colombia are lagging behind this development. In particular, strengthening education in Colombia is important because the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) suggests that more than 70% of 15-year-olds in Colombia lack basic literacy and numeracy.
Due to Colombia’s lack of emphasis on education, students often redo classes, and some even fail to enroll in school at all. In fact, according to World Education in 2018, the percentage of enrollments stood at only 42.5% for incoming high school students. Additionally, the number of students who had repeated at least one grade increased from 38% to 43% between 2009 and 2015. Out-of-school children are more susceptible to gang recruitment, drugs and teen pregnancies. Additionally, a lack of education ultimately ensures individuals remain stuck in cycles of poverty. In fact, the government statistics agency DANE highlights that about 19.6 million Colombians out of a general population of 50 million endured conditions of poverty by the close of 2021 while extreme poverty affected 6.1 million Colombians.
Strengthening Education in Colombia
In 2016, Andreas Schleicher, the director for Education and Skills at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), presented a report in Barranquilla with Colombia’s Minister of Education about education in Colombia. The report said, “As Colombia enters the global economy, its educational success will be measured by boosting national standards so that Colombian children match up to children around the world.”
The government of Colombia developed the Everyone Learns education program in 2012, targeting “elementary students in public schools in the poorest areas of the country.” This program, led by education minister Maria Fernanda Campo, focuses on math and language and has positively impacted more than 2.4 million students. The whole premise of this program is to hire some of the country’s most renowned teachers to teach in low-income areas of the country. This provides a better quality of teaching in necessary classes, including math, reading and language.
Drawing Inspiration from Others
Many impoverished children in Colombia are unable to attend school because they lack proper uniforms, books and supplies, which diminishes their opportunity to rise out of poverty. Local government funds or loans should be made available to low-income families so they can buy their children the necessary school supplies. Colombia can look to Brazil for inspiration. For example, in Brazil, the program known as Bolsa Família helps provide school supplies, clothing and shoes to lower-income families so their children can regularly attend classes. As a result, the enrollment rate in Brazilian schools increased significantly. In fact, in grades one to four, enrollment rates increased by 2.8% in the initial year and by about 5.5% after three years.
Another initiative Colombia could draw inspiration from is the Programa Nacional de Becas y Crédito Educativo in Peru. This program administers scholarships and education credits to students in poverty. Established in 2016, the program has had a positive impact on students. For the thousands of Colombians who lack the financial means to pursue education, following these programs could prove essential. By increasing the quality of teaching and making schooling affordable to students across the country, Colombia could see enrollment rates spike and tremendous motivation from students. More resources should be allocated to early childhood education to raise education outcomes and ensure that all students have a fair chance of success.
Although strengthening education in Colombia is no easy feat, with strong programs in place, the country can start reversing the negative trends in the education system. To make a real difference, though, Colombia needs to focus future efforts on solving issues that make it challenging for families to enroll their children in schools.
– Neil Chandran
Photo: Flickr
