Education seems to be becoming more important in Colombia. Public Education in free and compulsory for five years, however public schools are controlled mostly by religious orginaizations, with some support from the government. There is a high dropout rate at primary school level, as schools are often far away from student's homes. There are programs in place to provide some agricultural training for students who do not attend secondary school or collage, as most of those types of school are in the cities, far away from rural villages, but there is some educational television available. The National University in Bogotá is one of the oldest in the western hemisphere, being founded in 1572.
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Americas/Colombia-EDUCATION.html
