Colombia:  For everyone's access to education

By María Josefina Arce

For the consideration of Colombians, the government presided by Gustavo Petro submitted two projects to reform the Colombian education system, guaranteeing access to education as a right for all and increasing the financing of public universities.
   
The purpose of the authorities, who are promoting a national dialogue to achieve consensus on the subject, is to integrate the different views of the country.
  
Discussions have already taken place and continue to take place in the education sector. Suggestions from students, teachers, rectors and directors of educational institutions have been heard. And now the entire population is being called upon to join in the construction of an education reform.
   
The teaching and student community has applauded the government for taking into account their requests and keeping the dialogue open in order to achieve a necessary change in the educational system.
   
The challenges are great because there are gaps in access to education, which limits having greater opportunities in the future and a different life alternative. In this way, experts point out, a circle of poverty is perpetuated.
   
Every year, a high number of school dropouts are reported, either due to lack of resources, lack of infrastructure, the need to help the family or the insufficient quality of education. In 2022 alone, more than 333 thousand students dropped out and some 643 thousand failed their studies.
   
This situation is even more complex in rural areas, where children and young people, in the absence of schools, have to travel long distances, through difficult access roads, to reach their schools.
   
For this reason, the government of President Gustavo Petro is promoting a change in this important area. One of the projects seeks to regulate the right to education.
   
The other aims to reform Law 30 of 1992 to transform higher education in Colombia and turn it into a fundamental prerogative and a common good.
  
Among the measures it contemplates is the expansion of access to this educational level with criteria of socioeconomic vulnerability, equity and population. It also proposes the financial strengthening of public higher education institutions.
   
President Gustavo Petro bets for a profound change in the South American nation, to guarantee the most elementary human rights to all Colombians for the sake of a more dignified life.