According to andyeducation, Colombia’s educational system is based on three levels of schooling: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary education includes six years of study and is followed by four years of secondary school. After successful completion of secondary school, students can then pursue tertiary education. The primary level of education in Colombia is compulsory for all children between 6 and 12 years old. It consists of six grades with a focus on basic literacy, numeracy, and science skills as well as history, geography, physical education, art and music. The second level of schooling in Colombia is secondary education which consists of four grades (7-10). It focuses on developing more advanced knowledge in the core subjects such as mathematics and science as well as providing students with the opportunity to specialize in a particular field such as technology or business management. Finally, the tertiary level of education in Colombia consists of post-secondary institutions such as universities and technical schools which offer degree programs ranging from undergraduate degrees to doctorates. Popular majors include engineering, technology-related fields such as computer science and information technology; business management; sciences such as medicine; economics; law; literature; history; philosophy; foreign languages; mathematics; art history and design; psychology; sociology and anthropology. In addition to traditional classroom instruction at both the primary and secondary levels, Colombian schools also provide students with extracurricular activities such as sports clubs, student organizations, volunteer work opportunities, internships, study abroad programs and other activities designed to broaden their educational experiences. The Colombian government places great emphasis on academic performance in its educational system by requiring that all high school graduates take the college entrance exam (known locally as “Examen de Estado”) before they are eligible to pursue higher education at one of the country’s universities or technical schools. Furthermore, it has also invested heavily in vocational training programs to ensure that citizens living outside major cities or remote rural areas have access to quality education regardless their location within Colombia’s borders. All these efforts have resulted in increased access to higher education for previously marginalized communities throughout the country while maintaining high standards of academic excellence that prepare students for success both domestically and internationally. See educationvv for Colombia educational systems.
