The education system in Colombia

• In Event: Localization in International Development and Education: Lessons Learned From the USAID/Colombia “Together We Learn” (“Juntos Aprendemos”) Project

Proposal

The education system in Colombia has become strained in the context of increasing migration from Venezuela and as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Ministry of Education, the number of Venezuelan migrants enrolled in Colombian schools increased from 34,000 in 2018 to 601,000 as of May 2023. Given this reality, it is critical to understand the key challenges facing the education system, how these challenges are creating more inequities, and how they are preventing access to quality education. At the community level, migrant children and their families face multiple challenges to accessing education and the influx of students has overwhelmed the government’s ability to respond. This rapid influx of migrants has also increased tension in communities and generated discrimination and xenophobia.

Author

• Rosana Arizmendi-Mejía, Corporación Parque Explora