The Education System in Colombia

The Ministry of Education is in control of Columbia’s education. it was established in 1886 and the current minister is Cecilia Maria Velez White. Former minister Jorge Eliecer Gaitan who served from 1940-1942 and assassinated was recognized for his promotion of educational and cultural campaigns. Formal education in Columbia consists of nursery, elementary, high school, technical education, and college.

Nursery schools and daycare centers are generally attended by children under 5 years old. These educational centers are commonly known as “Hogares Comunitarios” and are supported by the National Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF). The elementary level is taken for 5 years by children from 6-12 years of age. The next level is secondary education which takes also 5 years to complete and is divided into 2 components: basic secondary (6th-9th grade); and mid secondary (10th-11th grade). Before enrolling taking up any technical or college education, all students are required to pass the pruebas de estado test given by the Insituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educacion Superior (ICFS). Majority of technical courses lasts 3 years while university degrees are 5 years.