Derecho a la educación: la necesidad de un cambio para la ruralidad

Abstract

Historically, there exists an educational and social gap between the rural and urban sectors. Governmental efforts have focused on urban areas. Rural inequalities have arisen, and the conditions for educations have deteriorated. Problems such as illiteracy, poverty, poor social and personal development, low social investment, corruption, violence, among many others, are accentuated.

Education has existed as a right and public service in the Constitution of Colombia of 1991, Article 67. That right has a social function, and its importance lies in its transforming role for the individual, society, and the sector; it is considered the weapon to combat inequalities, poverty, violence, provide the tools, skills, and knowledge to live in society and contribute to the positive and significant changes that are needed for rural areas and in general for the entire population.

Therefore, it is urgent to make changes in favor of the rural sector, through the adoption of new public policies designed for them, under a new inclusive, differentiated educational model, which response to the personal and sectoral needs of rural areas, thereby seeking to provide them with the education they need so much and thus contribute to closing the social gap in education and combat the other problems that afflict rural areas.

The conditions of the teaching staff must be improved, accompanying their work, and guaranteeing the educational resources to perform their work, remembering that for the Ministry of National Education (2016) “The role and qualification of the teacher in the educational process of the student play a preponderant role considering that their level of training has a positive impact on the quality of education”.

Thus, it should be noted that they understand these public policies as actions taken to solve a certain problem that afflicts society and/or a part of it, defined then. To comply with these rural education public policies, it is essential to have a sufficient and continuous budget, thus avoiding the paralysis of these plans. Therefore, it is essential to carry out a constitutional reform to establish a progressive allocation of educational resources and thus guarantee inclusive and differentiated education for rural areas.