Better Schools in Colombia
Unlocking Children's Potential
Education is a life long process that begins at birth and takes place in the family and community, as much as in school. The essential principle of education is helping children to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will be useful throughout their lives. Education also unlocks children's potential and contributes to the development of societies generally.
It is well known that education provides one of the most effective routes out of poverty. Yet millions of children around the world are missing out on even the most basic education due to lack of access and poor quality education provision.
In Colombia primary education is neither universal nor free. First year enrolment rates are 77.4 per cent, and annual dropout rates are high. Many parents cannot afford to pay for school materials, uniforms and tuition fees, and young people find it difficult to combine school with work. Others drop out because they are pregnant or because they are involved in gangs.
Child labour is one of the main causes for large numbers of children not being in school, other causes are poverty, discrimination and displacement. For example schools are required to give internally displaced children free education - but in practice schools depend on the fees parents pay to keep the schools running - so school directors find any excuse not to enrol displaced or poor children.
Birth registration, which is needed for a child's identity and access to education and healthcare, is free. However, many parents do not register children because they have to produce copies of documents, which may have been destroyed during conflict; or they are afraid to register; they do not know how; or they cannot afford to travel the distance to acquire it.
The quality of teaching is also poor due to years of neglect and lack of investment in teacher training. Education policy is poorly planned and resources scarce, such as learning materials. Public spending on education is also severely limited. Many children are affected by violence in schools, and in some cases at risk of sexual abuse.