Table Of ContentReviews of National Policies for Education R
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Education in Colombia ie
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How can Colombia improve both the quality and equity of its education system while also o
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addressing effi ciency challenges? Despite a fundamental transformation of its education N Reviews of National Policies for Education
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system over the past two decades, Colombia faces two critical challenges: high levels of t
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inequality from the earliest years and low levels of quality across its education system. n
This report assesses Colombia’s policies and practices against the best approaches al P Education in Colombia
in education and skills from across the OECD. It analyses its education system’s major
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strengths and the challenges it faces, from early childhood education and care to tertiary lic
education. With insights drawn from international research, it offers recommendations ie
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on how Colombia can improve quality and equity to reach its goal of being the “most f
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educated” country in Latin America by 2025. This report will be of interest in Colombia as r
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well as other countries looking to raise the quality, equity and effi ciency of their education d
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systems. c
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Contents io
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Chapter 1. Colombia and its education system
Chapter 2. Early childhood education and care in Colombia
Chapter 3. Primary and lower secondary education in Colombia
Chapter 4. Upper secondary education in Colombia
Chapter 5. Tertiary education in Colombia
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Reviews of National Policies for Education
Education in Colombia
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foRewoRd – 3
Foreword
colombia has made education a main priority to improve the economic
and social prosperity of the country and pledged more resources to this
sector than any other policy area. it has already made great leaps towards
providing a quality and inclusive education. it has managed to lengthen the
period of time colombian children go to school, and to ensure more are
entering the system at an earlier age and continuing to tertiary education, in
particular amongst the most disadvantaged. Quality assurance mechanisms
and efforts to improve the teaching profession have been introduced. these
are remarkable achievements considering the socio-economic challenges
and regional disparities colombia faces. sustaining this progress will be
central to realising colombia’s ambitions to become the most educated
country in latin america.
this report has been developed as an input into the process of
colombia’s accession to the oecd. it provides an assessment of
colombia’s policies and practices compared to oecd best policies and
practices in education and skills. it assesses the whole education system
from early childhood education and care to tertiary education using five
important principles of well-performing education systems:
• a strong focus on improving learning outcomes
• equity in educational opportunity
• the ability to collect and use data to inform policy
• the effective use of funding to steer reform
• extended multi-stakeholder engagement in policy design and
implementation.
the report highlights the many strengths of colombia’s education
system as well as its challenges and provides recommendations for
improvement.
Reviews of NatioNal Policies foR educatioN: educatioN iN colombia © oecd 2016
4 – foRewoRd
i hope this report will support colombia in its reform efforts to
enhance the quality and equity of its education system and strengthen the
contribution of education and skills to economic and social growth of the
country. the oecd is there to help colombia in this effort.
Andreas Schleicher
director for education and skills and special advisor
on education Policy to the secretary-General
oecd
Reviews of NatioNal Policies foR educatioN: educatioN iN colombia © oecd 2016
ackNowledGemeNts – 5
Acknowledgements
this report is the result of an assessment of colombia’s policies and
practices in the field of education and skills, informed by international
experience and best practices from oecd countries. the assessment process
draws from various sources, including a background report prepared by the
colombian ministry of education, an oecd pre-review visit to help define
the actors and main policy issues, and a main review visit by a team of oecd
and international experts to colombia in march 2015.
the oecd review team is indebted to the colombian government
which, under the leadership of the ministry of education, has graciously
supported this review. special words of appreciation are due to the minister
of education, Gina Parody, and her team. colombia’s involvement in this
report was co-ordinated by Paola andrea muñoz Gómez, director of the
co-operation and international Relations office and victoria Gómez castillo,
advisor to the co-operation and international affairs office. we are also
thankful for the support of colombia’s former minister of education, maria
fernanda campo, and her staff in beginning the oecd accession process in
education and skills.
we would like to further thank the inter-american development bank
(idb) consultants who authored the country background report: alba
Nury martínez, alexandra González, luis Jaime Piñeros and diana isabel
cárdenas. the many contributions and clarifications from the staff of
the ministry of education were also invaluable for our work. the oecd
review team would also like to convey our sincere appreciation to the many
participants in the review visit who gave time from their busy schedules to
share their views, experience and knowledge. a wide range of actors at all
levels of government and across all education levels provided a wealth of
insights. we are very grateful to the many colombian stakeholders, including
the officials from the various ministries, national bodies and educational
institutions, members of congress, teachers unions, researchers, and officials
from non-governmental organisations, private sector, and the country offices
of the idb, organisation of iberoamerican states for education, science
and culture (oei), uNicef and the world bank. a special thanks to the
Reviews of NatioNal Policies foR educatioN: educatioN iN colombia © oecd 2016
6 – ackNowledGemeNts
secretaries of education from antioquia, armenia de mantequilla, bogotá,
cundinamarca, manizales, medellín, and Riohacha. the courtesy and
hospitality extended to us throughout our stay in colombia made our task as
enjoyable as it was stimulating and challenging.
the oecd review team (annex a) was led by elizabeth fordham
(oecd secretariat) and co-ordinated by anna Pons (oecd secretariat), and
composed of Jose Joaquin brunner (university of diego Portales, chile),
candido alberto Gomes (catholic college of brasilia, brazil), Rowena Phair
(oecd secretariat) and Juliana Zapata (oecd secretariat). martha laverde
toscano and caroline macready provided valuable contributions to the
report. the review team acknowledges the support from andreas schleicher,
director for education and skills; Richard Yelland, Head of the Policy advice
and implementation division; and that of etienne albiser, simon field,
caitlyn Guthier, ineke litjens, and Paulo santiago who provided in-depth
feedback and advice at critical stages of the drafting process of the report.
we are also grateful to other oecd colleagues in the development centre;
the directorate for employment, labour and social affairs; the economics
department; the Governance directorate; and the legal directorate. Rebekah
cameron provided administrative support, sally Hinchcliffe edited the
report, and Rachel linden organised the publication process.
Reviews of NatioNal Policies foR educatioN: educatioN iN colombia © oecd 2016
table of coNteNts – 7
Table of contents
Acronyms and abbreviations ....................................... 11
Executive summary ............................................... 17
Chapter 1. Colombia and its education system ......................... 21
the context..................................................... 22
colombia’s education system....................................... 26
main trends in access, quality and equity ............................. 30
cross-cutting issues in colombia’s education system .................... 38
Governing a complex, decentralised education system................... 39
ensuring adequate and effective funding for education .................. 47
using information for system-wide improvement....................... 56
conclusion ..................................................... 60
Annex 1.A1. key indicators ........................................ 61
Annex 1.A2. key governance actors by level........................... 64
Annex 1.A3. colombia’s information system........................... 66
References ..................................................... 71
Chapter 2. Early childhood education and care in Colombia ............. 79
context and main features......................................... 81
key policy issues ................................................ 95
Policy issue 1: improving the educational benefits of ecec............. 96
Policy issue 2: ensuring universal access and successful transition
to school ..................................................... 104
Policy issue 3: strengthening the whole system architecture for ecec .... 110
Recommendations ............................................... 117
Annex 2.A1. key ecec initiatives (1970-2014)......................... 122
References ..................................................... 125
Reviews of NatioNal Policies foR educatioN: educatioN iN colombia © oecd 2016
8 – table of coNteNts
Chapter 3. Primary and lower secondary education in Colombia ......... 131
context and main features......................................... 132
key policy issues ................................................ 151
Policy issue 1: Placing student learning at the centre................... 152
Policy issue 2: building a stronger teaching and school leadership
workforce .................................................... 159
Policy issue 3: improving schools to provide all students
with equal learning opportunities ................................. 172
Recommendations ............................................... 184
References ..................................................... 190
Chapter 4. Upper secondary education in Colombia .................... 195
context and main features......................................... 196
key policy issues ................................................ 211
Policy issue 1: improving quality and relevance ...................... 211
Policy issue 2: making progress towards universal access and completion . 222
Policy issue 3: building synergies for improvement ................... 229
Recommendations ............................................... 233
References ..................................................... 237
Chapter 5. Tertiary education in Colombia............................ 243
context and main features......................................... 246
key policy issues ................................................ 265
Policy issue 1: expanding access and improving equity ................ 265
Policy issue 2: ensuring quality and relevance ....................... 276
Policy issue 3: strengthening governance and financing................ 282
Recommendations ............................................... 291
References ..................................................... 297
Annex A. The authors ............................................. 301
Tables
table 1.a1.1. key indicators, by economy, society and educational
inputs and outcomes .................................... 61
table 1.a2.1. key governance actors by level ........................... 64
table 1.a3.1. colombia’s information system by education level ............ 66
table 2.1. types of ecec provision in colombia...................... 88
table 2.a1.1. key legislative ecec initiatives (1970-2014)................. 122
table 3.1. Number of school branches and students (2014)............... 137
table 5.1. tertiary education institutions, by type (2013)................ 254
table 5.2. institutions and programmes with vHQa, by type
(december 2013)....................................... 256
Reviews of NatioNal Policies foR educatioN: educatioN iN colombia © oecd 2016
