Higher Education in La Guajira. Image Credit: Ministerio de Educacion, Colombia.
Colombia Higher Education

Higher Education in La Guajira

Soledad Quartucci

Higher Education in La Guajira

The Ministry of Education highlights progress in the immediate transition program to higher education in La Guajira

The Government of Change has been working hand in hand with communities and educational institutions in places like the municipality of Uribia, in La Guajira, taking significant steps towards democratizing and ensuring equitable access to higher education in Colombia.

Uribia (La Guajira), December 27, 2023. The Minister of Education, Aurora Vergara Figueroa, participated in the graduation ceremony of 54 students from the Indigenous Integral Rural Boarding School of Siapana at the Indigenous Normal Superior School in the municipality of Uribia, in the department of La Guajira. The newly graduated students will play a crucial role as future teachers, actively contributing to the education of other young people in their community.

 

 

During the graduation ceremony, the head of the Education portfolio emphasized the importance of supporting young people to continue their higher education. For this purpose, the National Ministry of Education has the ‘University in Your Territory’ strategy, which, through the Immediate Transition to Higher Education Program (PTIES), strengthens the path for more students from remote communities to enter higher education immediately.

 

 

 

“Today, we demonstrate that it is feasible to establish a smooth transition system from secondary education to higher education, provided there is consensus between the director of a school and the rector of a university. This achievement has been possible thanks to the coordination between the Education Secretariat of the certified territorial entity, the mayor of the municipality, and the governor, who have been vigilant of the progress of graduating students in La Guajira. We send a strong message to the country: it is possible to ensure that those who complete their secondary education have the opportunity to enter university. From today, the results that will manifest will excellently demonstrate that this dream can come true,” said Minister of Education, Aurora Vergara Figueroa.

 

 

The implementation of ‘University in Your Territory’ PTIES began in July 2023. In its first phase, it includes 9 prioritized municipalities: Guapi (Cauca), Tierralta, and Ciénaga de Oro (Córdoba), Quibdó (Chocó), Uribia (La Guajira), Barbacoas (Nariño), Inírida (Guainía), El Tarra (Norte de Santander), and Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca), benefiting 1,170 young people from 40 secondary education institutions.

This articulation process between secondary and higher education allows immediate entry of young people into public Higher Education Institutions participating in the ‘University in Your Territory’ strategy, as it streamlines requirements such as their own admission tests or the results of the Saber 11° tests.

Strengthening of Secondary Education

With the aim of strengthening secondary education in educational institutions across the country, the Ministry of Education has the Secondary and Higher Education System (SIMES), which seeks to reduce territorial and social inequality in 14 prioritized territories.

In the department of La Guajira, SIMES focuses on 6 municipalities (Albania, Dibulla, Fonseca, Manaure, Maicao, and Uribia), benefiting 21,882 students and expanding the educational offering from basic to secondary education in 51 educational establishments.

 

 

The expansion of the educational offering in the municipality of Uribia from the sixth to eleventh grade is noteworthy, including a branch of the Ethnoeducational Technical Agricultural Institution Marco Tulio Montiel Uriana de Nortechon, Apotolipa branch, where the seventh grade was opened this year, benefiting 173 students.

Investment in Dignified Educational Infrastructure

The National Government is also advancing in the construction and improvement of educational infrastructure, especially in rural areas, through the Educational Spaces Plan as a center for community life and peace.

In fulfillment of the commitment made in the “Government with the People” meeting, through Findeter, it reaffirms the commitment to build 12 classrooms in the extreme northern zone of Alta Guajira.

 

Soledad Quartucci | CEO/Founder, Latina Republic

Latina Republic is dedicated to promoting regional understanding through compelling narratives, articles, interviews, and reports that emanate from the heart of the Americas. Our foremost goal is to facilitate constructive dialogue by illuminating local viewpoints frequently overshadowed by mainstream media. Our mission is to equip all stakeholders with essential insights for addressing regional issues, thus empowering them in their efforts. We are committed to portraying the victories and hardships of everyday life in Latin America, while also chronicling the progression of social movements and amplifying the voices of those at the forefront of change.

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