Reviews of National Policies for Education Education in Colombia

Foreword......Page 5
Acknowledgements......Page 7
Table of contents......Page 9
Acronyms and abbreviations......Page 13
Executive summary......Page 19
Promoting equity in educational opportunities......Page 20
Engaging stakeholders in designing and implementing policy......Page 21
Chapter 1 Colombia and its education system......Page 23
The context......Page 24
Figure 1.1. Population in Colombia based on the most recent census (2005)......Page 25
Colombia’s education system......Page 28
Figure 1.2. Structure of Colombia’s education system......Page 29
Increased access and participation......Page 32
Figure 1.3. School life expectancy across all educational levels (2000-11)......Page 33
Low learning outcomes......Page 34
Figure 1.4. PISA performance and annualised change across all subjects (2006, 2009 and 2012)......Page 35
Inequities in access and learning......Page 36
Figure 1.5. Share of resilient students across OECD and Latin American countries (2012)......Page 37
Figure 1.6. Regional disparities across Colombia as indicated, by SABER 11 assessment (2013)......Page 39
Box 1.1. Setting priorities for the education system (2014-18)......Page 40
Governing a complex, decentralised education system......Page 41
Ensuring institutional coherence and clear leadership......Page 42
Ensuring effective decentralisation......Page 43
Box 1.2. Transforming education through effective decentralisation......Page 45
Forging a shared, long-term vision......Page 46
Mobilising adequate funding for education......Page 49
Figure 1.8. Annual public expenditure on public institutions, per student in Colombia and selected countries (2011)......Page 50
Figure 1.9. Spending per student age 6 to 15 and PISA mathematics performance (2012)......Page 51
Figure 1.10. Distribution of funding, by source and by departments and selected ETCs......Page 53
Providing more effective financing to support equity and quality......Page 54
Figure 1.11. Relationship between SABER performance and per-student spending, by departments and selected ETCs (2014)......Page 56
Box 1.3. Supporting schooling through conditional cash transfers, Más Familias en Acción......Page 57
Using information for system-wide improvement......Page 58
Creating a more integrated information system......Page 59
Improving data quality......Page 60
Conclusion......Page 62
Table 1.A1.1. Key indicators, by economy, society and educational inputs and outcomes......Page 63
Table 1.A2.1. Key governance actors by level......Page 66
Table 1.A3.1. Colombia’s information system by education level......Page 68
Notes......Page 71
References......Page 73
Chapter 2 Early childhood education and care in Colombia......Page 81
Policy objectives......Page 83
Box 2.1. Supporting children From Zero to Forever......Page 84
Figure 2.1. National actors in the governance of ECEC......Page 85
Funding......Page 87
Organisation of pre-primary and ECEC services......Page 89
Table 2.1. Types of ECEC provision in Colombia......Page 90
Monitoring and quality assurance......Page 91
Childcare providers and pre-primary teachers......Page 93
Major trends in access, equity and quality......Page 94
Figure 2.2. Participation rates in ECEC, by socio-economic level (2012)......Page 95
Figure 2.3. ECEC services and poverty rates, by department (2013)......Page 96
Key policy issues......Page 97
Setting expectations for learning......Page 98
Building a skilled ECEC workforce......Page 100
Box 2.2. Introducing learning guidelines in Bogotá......Page 101
Supporting children’s home learning environment......Page 104
Policy issue 2: Ensuring universal access and successful transition to school......Page 106
Ensuring universal access to ECEC services for disadvantaged children......Page 107
Achieving a successful transition to schooling......Page 109
Policy issue 3: Strengthening the whole system architecture for ECEC......Page 112
Ensuring effective governance and funding for improvement......Page 113
Box 2.5. Getting a good start in Medellín......Page 115
Improving the monitoring and accountability system......Page 117
Recommendations......Page 119
Recommendation 1.2: Continue improving the initial education and professional development of the ECEC workforce......Page 120
Recommendation 2.1: Address the inequities in ECEC participation......Page 121
Recommendation 3.1: Build clear leadership and funding mechanisms for improvement......Page 122
Recommendation 3.2: Ensure accountability and quality assurance......Page 123
Table 2.A1.1. Key legislative ECEC initiatives (1970-2014)......Page 124
Notes......Page 126
References......Page 127
Chapter 3 Primary and lower secondary education in Colombia......Page 133
Recent and current policy developments......Page 134
Governance and funding......Page 135
Learning goals and curricula......Page 137
Organisation of schools......Page 138
Table 3.1. Number of school branches and students (2014)......Page 139
Figure 3.1. Share of 15-year-old students who repeated at least one year, PISA 2012......Page 143
Teachers and school leaders......Page 145
Box 3.1. The programme Todos a Aprender......Page 149
Trends in enrolment, performance and completion......Page 151
Figure 3.2. Performance in SABER 5 and 9, by type of school and location (2009, 2012 and 2013)......Page 152
Key policy issues......Page 153
Clarifying what students should learn......Page 154
Using assessment to support students’ learning and progression......Page 157
Making more effective use of learning time......Page 159
Ensuring clear standards and effective support......Page 161
Box 3.2. Professional standards for teachers and school leaders in Chile......Page 163
Using appraisal to foster high-quality teaching......Page 168
Rewarding teaching quality......Page 170
Strengthening school leadership......Page 171
Box 3.3. Transforming school leaders to transform schools......Page 173
Shifting the focus from schooling to learning for all......Page 174
Box 3.4. Escuela Nueva, a Colombian innovation......Page 175
Allocating resources more equitably and effectively......Page 180
Using information and evaluation to foster school improvement......Page 183
Recommendations......Page 186
Recommendation 1.2: Encourage and support teachers to make more effective use of student assessment......Page 187
Recommendation 2.2: Improve initial teacher education and professional development......Page 188
Recommendation 3.1: Tackle inequities in access to provide equal learning opportunities......Page 189
Recommendation 3.3: Use evaluation to foster school improvement......Page 190
References......Page 192
Chapter 4 Upper secondary education in Colombia......Page 197
Policy objectives and recent developments......Page 198
Governance and funding......Page 200
Learning options, curricula and certification......Page 203
Organisation of upper secondary schools......Page 206
Teachers and school leaders......Page 207
Trends in key education indicators......Page 209
Figure 4.1. Upper secondary enrolment in Colombia (2002-12)......Page 210
Figure 4.2. Survival rates of a cohort of Colombian students, by age and location......Page 211
Policy issue 1: Improving quality and relevance......Page 213
Setting expectations for teaching and learning......Page 214
Consolidating core skills and developing employability......Page 215
Smoothing the transition to further education and the labour market......Page 219
Removing the barriers to student enrolment and completion......Page 224
Expanding the school system......Page 227
Strengthening national leadership......Page 231
Building capacity at the local level and fostering effective partnerships with key stakeholders......Page 233
Box 4.3. Fostering the involvement of key stakeholders in Mexico......Page 234
Recommendation 1.2: Retain a comprehensive approach......Page 235
Recommendation 2.1: Adopt an integrated approach to removing barriers to enrolment and completion......Page 236
Recommendation 3.1: Strengthen national leadership for reform......Page 237
Notes......Page 238
References......Page 239
Chapter 5 Tertiary education in Colombia......Page 245
Box 5.1. Main findings of the 2012 OECD-World Bank review of tertiary education in Colombia......Page 247
Recent developments and current policy goals......Page 248
Figure 5.1. Tertiary education graduates (2002-13)......Page 249
Governance......Page 250
Funding......Page 251
Figure 5.2. Public spending on tertiary education (2013)......Page 252
Figure 5.3. Expenditure on tertiary education from public and private sources, percentage of GDP (2007-13)......Page 253
Figure 5.4. Expenditure on tertiary educational institutions from public and private sources, percentage of GDP (2011)......Page 254
Tertiary institutions......Page 255
Quality assurance and information systems......Page 256
Box 5.2. SABER PRO......Page 258
Figure 5.5. Tertiary education gross enrolment rates, by country (2004-13)......Page 260
Table 5.3. Enrolment by level (2013*) and change in rates (2010-13*)......Page 261
Figure 5.6. Probability of entering tertiary education, by socio-economic quintile......Page 263
Table 5.4. Enrolment, dropout rates, share of accredited programmes and poverty levels, by department (2013)......Page 264
Table 5.5. Academic staff by level of education (2010 and 2013)......Page 266
Enabling students to make an informed decision......Page 267
Table 5.6. Relative value of different certificates or degrees (2012 and 2013)......Page 268
Reducing dropout rates and improving retention and completion......Page 270
Strengthening financial support for low-income students......Page 272
Improving equity between regions......Page 274
Box 5.3. Antioquia: Tertiary education in regional development......Page 277
Strengthening the quality assurance system......Page 278
Enhancing institutional performance......Page 281
Improving technical and technological institutions......Page 283
Creating a more integrated system......Page 284
Figure 5.7. Moving towards a two-pillar tertiary education system......Page 286
Box 5.4. The National Higher Education Council’s long-term vision and strategy......Page 287
Ensuring sustainable and effective funding......Page 291
Recommendation 1.1: Ensure accessible information to support students’ decisions......Page 293
Recommendation 1.4: Put regional equity at the forefront of reforms......Page 294
Recommendation 2.2: Create a culture of institutional and academic improvement......Page 295
Recommendation 3.1: Creating a more joined-up system......Page 296
Recommendation 3.2: Move towards a performance-based funding system......Page 297
Notes......Page 298
References......Page 299
OECD staff......Page 303