Most of the children, which are more than one year old are provided with daycare and kindergarten in "Hogares Comunitarios" (Community homes), under the auspices of the National Institute for family welfare (ICBF acronym in Spain), where the mother company soon to take care of their own children, as well as children from the neighborhood. When the children of Colombia learned to read and write, are typically converted primary school. There is also a large number of facilities for kindergarten, but most of the time was the high cost for average families.Elementary school
Primary school consists of 5 years of formal education. Children usually entered into class 1, at the age of six. Net primary enrolment (percentage of relevant age group) in 2001 was 53.9 per cent. Completion rate (the percentage of age group) for children attending elementary school (primaria) in 2001 amounted to 89.5 percent. In rural areas, teachers are poorly qualified and high-price drops. In urban areas, on the other hand, teachers are generally well prepared and knowledge of their profession.
Due to the lack of institutions to achieve full coverage of children's public education system has adopted the "automatic promotion" as a standard practice (Decreto 230 de 2002), but teachers need to know to teach large numbers of students, which is far more educated than many of the schools in the United States the schools are also almost a year old, came from the last week of January until the last week in November, a break for three weeks in June, and next week end in mid-September.
Government funding for education has increased fivefold in real terms between 1966 and 1986. In 1987 the Federal education expenses between the third quarter of the State budget. The State supports the extension of the total education of urbanization from the 1960s to the 1980s various adjustments in national legislation regulating education increases the responsibility of national Governments in the area of financing of education. The main change is the nationalization laws, which in 1960 transferred the financial responsibility for basic education and the national Government of 1975 did the same for secondary education. In addition, it has developed mechanisms for revenue sharing between the region and the national Governments. Despite the progress, however, there are large differences in the quality of education between social classes and regions, as well as between the public and the private sector, and between rural and urban areas.High school
Secondary education is divided in basic secondary (grades 6th to 9th) and mid secondary (grades 10th and 11th). Net secondary enrollment in 2001 was 53.5 percent. School life expectancy in 2001 was 11.1 years. Mid secondary school is usually refereed as Vocational school, as there is a selection of technical, arts, and academic schools to choose from. Technical schools offered specialized training in industrial subjects (mechanics, industrial chemistry, welding, farming) and commercial topics (accounting, office clerk). Other schools specialize in religious studiesl (Seminar schools for future Catholic priests), and teaching for pre-school and elementary teaching. Traditional academic school, however, represents most of the offer in urban areas.In order to access college or technical education, highschool students must write the State Test "pruebas de estado"provided by Instituto Colombiano para el Fomento de la Educación Superior - ICFES.
University education
Superior education is divided into under-graduate degrees and post-graduate degrees and is regulated by the 30th law of 1992. Most of the university degrees are 5 years long. Technical formation usually lasts 3 years. Post-graduate education includes specializations, masters and PhD programs.
useful links http://countrystudies.us/colombia/57.htm
http://countrystudies.us/colombia/58.htm
http://www.colombiaaprende.edu.co/