Public Policies and Educational Equity in the City of Bogota

Abstract

Education in big cities in Latin America not only relates to problems concerning the quality of learning, but to students’ social and cultural contexts. When talking about the Colombian case, and more specifically about education in the City of Bogotá, it is important to point out the existence of two separate circuits. One circuit generates an excellent education for the most privileged students, while the other is problematic and deficient with respect to the basic learning of students in the low-income sectors. This poor performance prevails in spite of new educational policies and by the effort of teachers who are committed to their pedagogical work.