Tertiary Education In Colombia

This review examines challenges being faced by the tertiary education system in Colombia including improving equity and expanding enrolment, increasing quality and relevance, and making governance and financing more responsive.

Annotation The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative, a major innovation in development finance, was designed to relieve the high external debt of some of the worldA'-s poorest nations. The Initiative was put in place by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1996 and enhanced in 1999. The HIPC Debt Initiative addresses a key obstacle to economic growth and poverty reduction, but it also contains multiple and overly-ambitious objectives. Debt Relief for the Poorest is an independent evaluation which assesses the progress and prospects of the HIPC Debt Initiative achieving its objectives. This review makes recommendations which address the strategic issues confronting the Initiative.

How can Colombia improve both the quality and equity of its education system while also addressing efficiency challenges?

Inequality of educational opportunities (IEO) is a recurring topic in both public debate and academic research. This book contributes to the contemporary discussion on IEO with a focus on individual trajectories over the life course. It provides empirical evidence on the magnitude and the mechanisms of IEO in Colombia, a country with extreme, persistent levels of social inequality. Using national administrative databases, the author examines the effect of social origin on academic and labor market outcomes among university graduates. Drawing on a comprehensive theoretical approach to stratification and higher education, this volume discusses how the interaction between family background and segmentation of educational institutions might influence individuals’ outcomes. As such, it will appeal to scholars, policy makers, and practitioners with interests in education, social inequality, social policy, higher education research, and international/comparative education.

This review examines challenges being faced by the tertiary education system in Colombia including improving equity and expanding enrolment, increasing quality and relevance, and making governance and financing more responsive.

Antioquia is one of Colombia’s economic engines, but suffers from low skills, poverty, inequity and poor labour market outcomes. This publication explores a range of helpful policy measures and institutional reforms to mobilise higher education for regional development.

The educational system of Colombia is described, and placement recommendations concerning Colombian students who want to study in the United States are presented. After describing preschool and primary education, secondary school and nonformal/vocational education are described. Attention is directed to current secondary school curricula and the current grading system, as well as curricula and grading prior to 1974. Undergraduate admissions, credits, transfer practices, grading/examinations, and degrees and diplomas are discussed. The following levels of college studies are examined: intermediate professional studies, technological studies, university studies, specialist programs, master's programs, and doctoral programs. Guidelines and placement recommendations are presented as they pertain to Colombian degrees and diplomas, military and police training, and transfer of credits from Colombian institutions. A list of higher education institutions that offer different levels of programs is appended. The list provides: the name of the institution; addresses and telephone (when available); 1981-1982 enrollment figures; the date of founding; the length of the programs; and the diploma, degree, or title awarded. Also appended are a list of courses for different programs of study and a list of secondary school courses by grade. (SW)