Education

Education in Colombia is public and free. Grades one through nine are required while preschool and grades ten and eleven are optional. Schools are given the option of running from February to November or September through June, but the vast majority opt for the first option. For preschool a minimum of 800 hours of learning are required throughout the school year, for elementary 1,000 are required, and in secondary 1,200 are required. In total the typical student completes about 11 years, if they last through the entire system. 

In elementary school, the average school day goes from 7 or 8am to about 12pm. And in secondary it has the same start time but can go until 4pm. At around 10am the students are given a brief recess to eat and play. When the younger grades are sent home, the older ones are given a break for lunch before going back to classes. The normal school week lasts from Monday until Friday. 

The average number of years of education in Colombia, including university, is 14.1. And only about 59% of adults have completed all 11. Enrollment in primary schools is about 93% overall, but that varies from less than 80% is some rural areas to over 90% in some urban areas. For secondary school, 83% of 11- and 12-year-olds start, with a higher percentage of girls enrolled. In urban areas the percentage averages 87%, but in rural areas the enrollment averages just 73%.

About 30% of students continue on to university education, and about 40% of women and 30% of men graduate with a degree. It is also a lot more likely for Colombians from wealthier backgrounds to attend university, with a percentage of 61% of secondary school graduates continuing on. While only about 25% of the poorest income bracket attend university. 

I could not find a concrete university graduation rate, but the average completion of at least two years in university is 28%. Only 8% of those from rural areas complete at least two years, compared to about 33% of those from urban areas. Similarly, 9% of those from poorest income bracket complete at least two years, while those from the wealthiest bracket have a 56% completion rate.

When looking at the basic subjects taught in Colombian schools, the list looks fairly similar to what we would expect from a school in the US: mathematics, social studies, physical education, arts education, Spanish language, natural science, foreign language, vocational studies,  and moral and religious education. And in secondary school, more specific subjects like biology, physics, earth science, philosophy, general chemistry, and organic chemistry are added. The main differences between this list and what we see in the US are the addition of religious education and Spanish. The second is easily expected due to the national language of Colombia being Spanish, but the first is different from what we see in the US. While religious schools exist, and quite a few public schools have classes on the subject, they are optional. I think this difference points out how important religion is to Colombians. As I have said in previous posts, the majority of Colombians profess to be catholic, and the majority of the rest belong to some branch of Christianity. So, having a core class on religion makes a lot of sense as it is an important aspect of many Colombians everyday lives.