Task 4.

Final Exam

Produced by:

Adriana Martínez Mendivelson

Code 1006692741

Tutor Angie Lorena Salgado

Colombian Education 551035_44

National Open and Distance University UNAD

Degree in English as a Second Language

School of Education Sciences ECEDU

CEAD Acacias, December of 2018

 Task 4. Final Exam

Education is a social science which has as principal objective to prepare people for life with all

the knowledge and abilities necessary to develop into our society as active members. This

implies that education process is related with culture, due to this determine students’ learning

needs. But as culture changes, learning needs change too. As educators, we need to keep

innovating the learning-teaching process, in order to make it more effective and successful.

During the last years, education in Colombia has improved in matter of growing numbers. The

data from the last two decades shows an overall increase in educational access and attainment in

all the education levels, expressing that students from all economics backgrounds are benefitting

from increased education opportunities. However, despite the progress in numbers, in daily life

the equal access and quality education differ significantly across regions and social classes of the

country. How can we change this reality? I believe everyone is involved in the education

process, teachers, students, parents, directives and government, all of us must work together for

the improvement of our education system. The question is, are we doing something for it?

Colombian government has made a lot of different tries to improve our education, especially

since the 60s, decade where the educational access started to increase. In 2002, it was launched a

comprehensive education program called Educative Revolution, which was focused on a

complete transformation of education system, making emphasis in quality and equal coverage.

According to this program, in 2010 the government added efforts related with the fact that all

public primary schools should be free of charge; and in 2012, this law was applied to public

secondary schools. On the university level, government decided that public universities decide
the feed according to the socioeconomic background of each student, in order to make it more

inclusive and affordable for everyone, so all students have the chance to access in higher

education. These changes were reflected in the report made in 2015, showing that Colombia’s

education budget increase by 5.75% in all the sectors.

Another strategy to improve quality and access is the application of ICT as educational resources

and tools. The Ministry of Education promotes the pedagogical use of ICT in schools and higher

institutions, as a method to enhance the quality of the educational system and the

competitiveness in the country. Also, since 2009 MEN has been worked in several virtual

projects that open educational opportunities to people with different special learning needs. I

think this shows that ICT can be used not just as motivational resources in the classroom, but

also as methods for the equalization of opportunities, access and permanence of the population

with disabilities to higher education training programs.

But the efforts don’t end here. In 2004, the Ministry of Education launched the National

Bilingual Program, with the purpose of increase students english language skills. This is seen as

an opportunity to increase academic and labour mobility in our country, as well as one of the

principal elements to improve the country’s global competitiveness. As english teachers, what

can we do? I consider we have a powerful opportunity in our hands and it’s our duty to use it.

Nowadays, learning a foreign language is an important element in professional development. As

teachers, we must boost our students to a language learning, providing them with the appropiate

knowledge, motivation and language skills that help them to manage the language in order to be

able to communicate in different contexts and ways. Remember that children and teenagers are

our future. It’s our duty to prepare them in the best way and their education is an important part

of that. So, let’s give it the attention that it deserves.

 Bibliographic References

[EduSkills OECD]. (2016, April 13). Education in Colombia. [Video File]. Retrieved from

https://youtu.be/S8gPnWcX5S4

Immerstein, S. (2015, December 7). Education in Colombia. Retrieved

from http://wenr.wes.org/2015/12/education-in-colombia

[OECD]. (2016, September 15). Education – meeting Sustainable Development Goals a

challenge for all. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/0HunbYyUXqA

UNICEF. (2009). Colombia’s lifeline: education. [Video File]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1ZoSl9jAY4&feature=youtu.be

Ministerio de Educación Nacional. (2010). Five Actions that are transforming education in

Colombia. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-

lM3CymciBU&feature=youtu.be