ColombiaInfo.com

In the last 50 years, Colombia has reduced iilliteracy. According to the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), illiteracy was 13.5% in 1985 and 7.6% in 2003. However, illiteracy is high in empovireshed regions of Colombia like the states of Chocó, Sucre and Norte de Santander.

Although most Colombian children can attend school, dropout can be high in very underdeveloped rural regions or poor districts of the cities. It matches also with the problem of child labor.

The national plan of education is defined every ten years. The following is the system of education in Colombia that is supervised by the Ministry of Education and the Secretaries of Education in the different regions:

1. Preschol: Kindergarden (since 3 years old), transition ( 4. )
2. Basic education (primaria): 1rst to 5th grades ( 6 years old. )
3. Middle education (secundaria): 6th to 9th grade ( 11 yers old. )
4. High school and vocational education: 10th to 11th grade ( 15 years old. )
5. University or polytechnic: If a teenager follows the normal system, he/she reaches university or a polytechnic at 18 years old. Males are expected to follow one year of compulsory military service in the army or the police. Students of 11th grade might present the National Exam known as ICFES or State Tests. The exam is compulsory to apply to any university or polytechnic in Colombia. At the same time, universities do an exam of application in order to be engaged.

Superior education in Colombia is centralized in cities, although some national projects to reach the countryside have been of good impact in the last decades. However, young people from empovireshed regions and rural areas are obliged to move to big cities if they want to get professional education.

Colombian cities have a good offer in private and public superior education.

The most important public centers are:

• National University with branches in the main cities.
• University of Antioquia in Medellín with branches in rural areas.
• University of Valle in Cali with branches in rural areas.
• University of Atlántico in Barranquilla.

The quality of the Colombian universities is good in international standards, but they lack usually good badgets for investigation. It limits the support of Colombian scholars and talents. It is traditional that Colombians with good intellectual capacities must emigrate to Europe or North America in order to get better opportunities. However, there are different cases of intellectual successes inside the country.

The NASA Diploma of Cuero

By Colombia en London — Translation Colombia Passport
The work and study of Doctor Raúl Cuero Rengifo, Ph D, is a case of great commitment to overcome difficulties that needs to be underlined and show to the world. He makes us proud as Colombians and causes the admiration of many persons around the world. He comes from a transformation along 40 years of daily fighting and commitment. He was born in Buenaventura City, past pupil of the Pascual de Andagoya College. He joined the Agriculture School of the National University of Colombia in Palmira City where he was a renown basketball player being even one of the best in the National Basketball Selection and the State Team of Valle del Cauca. More...