COLOMBIAN EDUCATION CHANGE Cecilia María Vélez

OUTLINE 1. Life-long education 2. Education for innovation, competitiveness and peace 3. Strengthening of the educational institution 4. Constant sector modernization 5. Communication and participatory managment.

1. LIFE-LONG EDUCATION Wide educational opportunities at all levels

Comprehensive Attention to Early Childhood ▫ : Sisben I y II ▫Pre-school, basic and middle school students ▫2002: 9,994,404 ▫2009: 11,241,474* Literate adults ▫ : 1,017,934 * Illiteracy rate (Quality of life survey) ▫2002: 7.62% ▫2008: 6.62% High school Graduates ▫2003: 471,245 ▫2008: 647,997 Higher Education Students ▫2002: 1,000,148 ▫2009: 1,570,447

PPP Strategy Wide educational opportunities at all levels Contracting the service to deliver the service : 1,074,974 students benefited accounting for 11% of the country’s total enrollment a)With private schools where there is no public offer b) With organizations to reach population with special needs c) By concession with high quality private schools

Concession Schools Wide educational opportunities at all levels ▫Governments hand over the physical infrastructure to a private operator after a competitive bidding process. The private provider must credit excellent results in National Test Scores (ICFES and SABER) ▫ Bogotá : 25 schools, managed by 9 operators, benefitting 39,947 students. ▫At the national level : In 24 Territorial Entities, 48 schools, students.

2. EDUCATION FOR INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS AND PACE Skill´s development Education for the labor market PRIMARYSECONDARY HIGH SCHOOL TECHNICAL PROGRAMS TECHNOLOG. PROGRAMS PROFESSIONAL BASIC COMPETENCIES Standards SABER 5° Standards SABER 9° Standards ICFES° ECAES SPECIFIC LABOR COMPETENCIES GENERAL LABOR COMPETENCIES CITIZENSHIP COMPETENCIES PROFESSIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION n POSTGRADUATE Competencies descriptors

Concession Schools Wide educational opportunities at all levels Some results : ▫Dropout levels below the city’s public schools rate. ▫Positive impact of schools on their neighborhoods. ▫ In 9 years, they have surpassed the average test scores of public school’s scores.

2. EDUCATION FOR INNOVATION,COMPETITIVENESS AND PEACE Progress in international tests TIMSS: From 1995 to 2007, Colombian students’ average in the 8th grade went up 20 points in Math and 23 points in Sciences. Average on math ▫1995: 360 ▫2007: 380 Average on sciences ▫1995: 393 ▫2007: 417

2. EDUCATION FOR INNOVATION COMPETITIVENESS AND PEACE Strategic projects for competitiveness National Bilingual Program: 1. Standards 2. Evaluation and Accreditation 3.Teacher training Ict in Education : 1.Infrastructure ( computer and connectivity) 2.Contents (portal) 3.Teacher Training

2. EDUCATION FOR INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS AND PEACE Strengthening of technical and technological education Technical programs for competitiveness: 36 alliances. 219 new programs for 49 strategic sectors in Economy Work observatory: Provides information for students, institutions and employers. Monitoring to 951,346 graduates (from 2001 to 2008) Joint work of middle and higher education: 3.907students with higher education, 273,127 students with a technological institution

EDUCATION FOR INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS AND PEACE Strategic projects for competitiveness Training of Highly Qualified Human Resource Masters Degrees Students 6,776 16,317 Doctorate Students 350 1,532 Scholarship holders abroad (graduate level) 1,974 3,696 Investigation groups ranked by Colciencias ,489

3. STRENGTHENING OF THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION Basic education Improvement plans: 10,284 monitored improvement plans(66%). 1,755 in low achievement establishments (65%). Experience exchange: 6 National Education Forums and 76 yearly monitored local forums. 240 documented experiences regarding management and basic skills. School Government: New evaluation Decree – Decree 1290 of April 16th, Free resources for the Education Services Funds. Booklet for parents

Institution strengthening New technologies Improvement plans Techniques and technological programs INFORMATION EVALUATION CAN National accreditation Council (Programs, Institutions Quality accreditation) LABOR OBS ECAES CONACES National Assurance Commission Qualified register SNIES QUALITY SPADIES SYSTEM OF QUALITY ASSURANCE – HIGHER EDUCATION

4.CONSTANT MODERNIZATION OF THE SECTOR MEN as an exemplary agency of public management in Colombia: quality, transparency, efficiency and technology Incentives framework in order to assign resources (per capita assignment) based on technical criteria Good management practices have been implemented in sector agencies, secretariats and IES Information systems that work jointly with the management processes: Local secretaries of education, and Universities.

5.COMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT Education is essentially a public matter Public management must dialogue with the multiple interests of the social agents on decision making regarding public policies Comprehension of participation from an ethic base of transparency, co-responsibility and pluralism. Implementation of effective participation mechanisms in order to dialogue with incumbent parties inside and outside of the Ministry Communication as a key factor in order to make participation and transparency possible.

5.COMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT Sceneries of discussion, debate and negotiation about public agenda Ten year education plan 24,438 participants “Colombia Aprende” Portal 1 Million visits a month 33 Virtual forums Virtual congress with 35 specialized forums, with 8,750 people registered. Encounters with actors from the sector 27 Encounters with Education Secretaries. Encounters with IES rectors. ASCUN (Colombian Universities Association). SUE (State University System). Sectorial and inter-sectorial coordination instances CESU (Higher Education Council), Meetings with Education Entrepreneurs, among others. Public discussion on regulatory developments citizen contributions to regulatory projects.