Education Developments
in Colombia
January 25th, 2016
General Facts
General Facts
Capital: Bogotá
Population: 48 million (55% < 30 years old)
Total area: 799,389 square miles (land area – 440,831 square
miles)
3 times the size of California and twice the size
of Texas.
Biodiversity: With more than 54,000 species, Colombia is
one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world
(70% of planet’s biodiversity)
Location: Only country in South America with access to both
the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans
Strategically located in Latin America
Dynamic Economy
2nd largest Spanish speaking country in the
world and among the 30 most populated
Population 2015*
Million
204.5
120.8
91.6 87.1
81.1
Source: DANE, 2015; EIU – FMI. 2015.
64.2
50.7 48.0
35.8 31.9 31.0
23.9 17.9
10.6 9.8 8.6 8.2 8.1 7.3 5.5 5.2 4.6
Colombia has continuously decreased its
poverty levels
50%
Percentage of people in poverty
2002 – 2014
Poverty
31%
28%
18%
Extreme poverty
9%
2002
2003
2004
2005
2008
2009
2010
Source: Poverty: National Administrative Department of Statistics – DANE
Middle class: The gained decade: the evolution of the middle class in Colombia between 2002 and 2011. Documento CEDE # 50. Universidad de los Andes.
And RADDAR for 2013 data.
2011
2012
2013
8%
2014
A rapidly expanding middle class
Average real growth of consumer expenditure,
2014 – 2018
5.5%
4.7%
4.2%
4.1%
2.9%
* Calculus based on a 4.6% GDP growth/ Middle class: Monthly household income between 3.2MW and 13MW
(MW) Minimum wage in Colombia 2014: USD 320.
Source: Fedesarrollo (2013) and Euromonitor
Education in Colombia
Education Facts
In 1985, just 65.5% of eligible
students were enrolled in primary
school.
Today, that figure is over
Illiteracy: 5.7%
Government Goal: Illiteracy below 2% by 2018
90%.
Education Facts
Significant resources will be invested in order to achieve the country’s goals;
2015 Education Budget will be
the largest national budget for
any Ministry (Even larger than
Defense and Security)
$13 Billion U.S. Dollars
in 2016
Education Facts
Children between 6 and 12 years go to
primary school.
Secondary school takes 4 years, just as in
the Netherlands.
University
• Primary and Secondary School are
Free
Secondary
School
Big Challenge  Only 45% of students are
reaching College Education.
Primary School
Higher Education in Colombia
Institution
Universidad de los Andes
Universidad Nacional de
Colombia
Pontificia Universidad
Javeriana
Universidad Externado de
Colombia
Universidad de Antioquia
Universidad de La Sabana
Universidad del Norte
Universidad del Rosario
Universidad del Valle
Universidad Industrial de
Santander
283
QS University
Latin American
Rankings 2015
7
QS University
Colombia
Rankings 2015
1
290
13
2
401-410
27
3
441-450
66
4
601-650
701+
701+
701+
701+
27
54
80
46
51
5
6
7
8
9
701+
84
10
QS University
World Rankings 2015
Community Colleges are also Vital
•
(Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje), or the National
Training Service  Colombian public institution that provides
free vocational and technical training to around 9 million
Colombians annually
•
SENA aims to develop and expand a technically skilled workforce
to respond to the needs of Colombian national development and
an increasingly international economy.
Top 10 Most Popular University Majors
1. Business Administration
2. Engineering
3. Political Science
4. Law
5. Medicine
6. Foreign Affairs
7. Culinary School
8. Accounting
9. Advertising
10.Psychology
Government Milestones in
Education
Education Milestones
•
Eradicating illiteracy. the National Literacy
Program succeeded in reducing the illiteracy
rate from 6.2% in 2010 to 5.8% in 2014,
benefiting a total of 419,082 illiterate adults.
•
National Education Infrastructure Plan to
construct 30 thousand new classrooms in 1,500
educational institutes, which will cover 60% of
today’s deficit, reducing inequality.
•
Free public education for 8.9 million children
and youth from primary to secondary school.
•
More than 2 million high school students
enrolled in college (50% of total students
finishing high school).
Government Goals 2025
Goals by 2025
Key Education Goals
•
Bilingualism must be part
country’s educational leap.
of
the
 Urgency of educating "scientists,
engineers and entrepreneurs that
are bilingual , and thus able to
compete with the best in the world."
•
Preservice
training
‘Tras la excelencia docente’, Chosen
by President Santos as the tool to select,
train, and evaluate teachers and thus
ensure the progress of Colombia’s
education.
Payment
Formation
in service
Selection
Evaluation
to improve
the service
Bilingualism
“The Knowledge of a second language it’s a national policy in Colombia
Signed in the law 16151 of 2013”
Colombia has two big programs of bilingualism:
• “National Program of Bilingualism “
• “Colombia Very Well”
Big Effort to increase English
proficiency in the public
education system
Foreign teachers become teacher
trainers and high school teachers.
During its first year it has benefited
more than 98,000 students.
Goals in Bilingualism 2014-2018
•
Colombian government has developed the “Colombia
Bilingüe 2014-2018” program.
•
Government seeks to raise the level of pre intermediate
B1 English from 2% to 8% by 2018.
• It also aims to raise the level of basic level B2 from
7% to 35% by 2018.
•
These targets will allow students to have better
communication skills and to have access to better job
and professional opportunities.
•
•
The National Program of Bilingualism and Colombia Very
Well expect that teachers can raise the level C1 and C2
for reaching the level required for the Common
European Framework.
CURRENTExchange
EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
ENGLISH
Current
English
Programs
Colombia has several cooperation agreements with institutions such as:
Thanks to these agreements, 35 universities around the country had the
opportunity of enrolling 103 foreign language assistants in their language
degree programs
CURRENT EXCHANGE
PROGRAMS
ENGLISH
Important
English
Training
Initiatives
1. English language training for Public School Teachers:
Intensive language training for 70 Colombian Public School
Teachers was held at the University of California (Nov)
2. Eje Cafetero English Immersion Program:
130 Colombian Public School teachers participated in an
English Immersion Program (Nov 16 – Dec 4) taught by
Volunteer Native Speakers
3. Support for Colombia Bilingue 2015-2018 Program:
Number of Peace Corps volunteers increased to 100, thus
reaching double the number of “departamentos” that they
were reaching in 2014.
Academic Mobility Programs
Nexo Global
The SENA Colombia – U.S
Community Colleges (100,00
Strong in the Americas)
Icetex
Scholarships
Colfuturo
Scholarships
Colombia Challenge your
Knowledge
Land-Grant
University
Nexo Global
Program of International mobility with emphasis on
research and innovation in STEAM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Agriculture and Math)
aimed at undergrad, grad students and researchers.
Type of Program: Internship and scholarship (6
months)
Program Location: Germany, Canada, United
States, France, United Kingdom, Brazil, Chile, Spain,
Mexico.
Current Agreements:
Georgia Tech
Cornell,
Purdue,
and
100K Strong (SENA – Community Colleges)
The SENA COLOMBIA – U.S. COMMUNITY COLLEGES
COMPETITION large-scale effort to construct longterm partnerships between the most innovative
professional and technical training institutions in
these two countries. Innovation Fund aims to
promote and achieve the internationalization of
training programs, curricula, and the institutions
themselves via joint partnerships and collaborative
initiatives.
-
Innovation
Research
Differentiation
Languages (Bilingualism)
Program Location: United States
Type of Program: Teaching, Scholarship
100K Strong (SENA – Community Colleges)
2 key Milestones:
1. 5 Projects from SENA won a financing of $40,000 USD each in
the 8th round of the Innovation Fund Competition
2. 2 Projects, one from EAFIT and one from Universidad del
Norte (both in association with Purdue University) won in the 9th
round of the Innovation Fund Competition.
Colfuturo Scholarships
Colombian professionals interested in pursuing a
Master's, Doctoral or Post Doctoral degree in areas
such as:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Business
Architecture and Design
Political Sciences
Basic Sciences
Engineering
Arts
Type of Program: 2.000 Scholarships per year
Program Location: Germany, Australia, Canada,
Costa Rica, Denmark, Spain, United States,
France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands,
Sweden.
Colombia Scientific
Program Managed by Ministry of Education
aimed at developing the national scientific
ecosystem through partnerships with foreign
universities.
Objective of Program: Train more 10,000 new
PhD’s abroad.
Program Location: Germany, Australia, Canada,
Costa Rica, Denmark, Spain, United States,
France, Italy, United Kingdom, Netherlands,
Sweden.
ICETEX Scholarships
ICETEX is the Colombian Government Entity in
charge of channeling all international cooperation
scholarships
offered
by
Governments,
International Organizations, and Universities
•
•
•
•
Agriculture
Education
Sciences
Administration
Type of Program: Currently 20 Scholarships Programs
Program Locations:
• United States
• Africa
• Europe
• Asia
Colombian Challenge your Knowledge
Network of 20 Colombian Accredited Universities
to promote and disseminate Colombian research,
academic
and
outreach
programs
abroad,
strengthen
the
internationalization
of
the
Accredited Universities of Colombia, study current
trends in internationalization, and promote quality
processes in all Colombian higher education
institutions.
Type of Program: Service Learning
Program Location: Colombia
Land Grant University
Purpose of the LGU program in Colombia:
•
Build human capacity in agricultural disciplines
through exchanges/training (i.e. accelerating
Masters and PhDs and exchange in both
directions)
•
Build research capacity and increase
research in priority research areas.
•
Develop technology transfer and rural advisory
services using ICT and 21st century education
delivery mechanisms (extension models)
•
Create a nimble, bilateral LGU-Colombia
network of problem solvers for agricultural and
educational innovation, aimed at regional and
sustainable livelihood creation, to boost post
conflict.
joint
Contacts in Colombia
Colciencias:
Paula Henao pahenao@colciencias.gov.co
Coordinator of Nexo Global Program
Adriana Colmenares
acolmenares@colciencias.gov.co
Head of the International Office
Ministry of Education:
Rosa María Cely,
RCely@contratista.mineducacion.gov.co
Manager of Colombia Bilingual Program
Paola Muñoz,
pamunoz@mineducacion.gov.co
Head of the International Office
Thank You!