La educación rural en Boyacá: Un análisis crítico al impacto de las políticas públicas en educación media

Abstract

The research begins with an analysis of the needs of rural secondary education, marked by poverty, limited access, low retention, high failure and dropout rates, as well as deficiencies in infrastructure and basic services. These factors hinder the right to quality education and restrict opportunities to improve living conditions in these contexts. The study examines the implementation of the programs derived from the Special Plan for Rural Education (PEER) in institutions in Boyacá and Tunja, with the purpose of identifying their contributions and limitations in six areas: school feeding, infrastructure, transition to higher education, educational quality, coverage and retention, and teacher training. It seeks to highlight how public policies aimed at rural education are materialized in the territories and what effects they have on the educational and social development of the region. The research was conducted using a mixed-method approach that combined documentary analysis, interviews, and surveys with key stakeholders, in addition to studying indicators of coverage, retention, and academic performance. This methodological integration allowed for a comparison of political discourse with actual implementation. The findings show that programs such as the PAE strengthen attendance and performance, and that some initiatives have expanded coverage. However, infrastructure gaps, inequity in access, difficulties in the transition to higher education due to socioeconomic factors, and a lack of vocational guidance and improved teacher training in these contexts persist. It is concluded that the PEER constitutes a fundamental strategy to reduce rural–urban inequalities, although it faces significant challenges in terms of sustainability, institutional coordination, and impact evaluation.