The Colombian Ministry of Education recently acknowledged that it does not have figures on how many children and adolescents are educated at home, a practice known internationally as homeschooling. The lack of statistics and studies makes it impossible to determine the extent of this practice, understand why families choose it, or assess its effects on children’s learning.
Homeschooling is not expressly prohibited in Colombia, but neither is there a specific regulatory framework governing how it operates. The law makes education compulsory, although it does not explicitly stipulate that it must take place in a physical classroom.
This situation leaves families who choose homeschooling in a kind of legal limbo, without sufficiently clear rules on the requirements they must meet or how to validate the knowledge their children acquire.
Colombia admits it lacks homeschooling data
The lack of official data poses a problem for education authorities. Without reliable figures, it is difficult to determine how many families have chosen to educate their children outside the conventional school system, identify their motivations, or establish whether this alternative has gained ground in recent years.
Homeschooling involves educating children at home under the responsibility of their parents or guardians rather than entrusting their education to a traditional educational institution. Methods vary from family to family: some follow structured programs and defined curricula, while others combine digital resources, educational materials, private tutoring, and independent learning activities.
The reasons for choosing this approach also vary. Some families seek to adapt content and schedules to their children’s learning pace. Others believe home education provides an environment better suited to their needs or more closely aligned with their educational philosophies.
Without statistics or specific research, however, the Ministry of Education cannot determine the extent of these choices or systematically assess their academic and social outcomes. Nor can it accurately establish how many minors are actually being educated at home and how many are outside the education system for other reasons.
The law requires education but does not specify that it must take place in a classroom
The legal uncertainty centers on a fundamental distinction: the obligation to ensure that children receive an education does not necessarily mean requiring them to attend school in person.
Colombian law recognizes education as a right and establishes obligations for the state and families regarding children’s education. However, it contains no explicit ban on homeschooling and no comprehensive regulations specifying how this form of education must be conducted, what requirements parents must meet, or how learning should be monitored.
Therefore, claiming that homeschooling is illegal would be inaccurate. The absence of a specific prohibition allows families to pursue this alternative, but the lack of dedicated rules leaves questions about how it fits into the formal education system.
Key concerns include how to certify acquired knowledge, what mechanisms are available to recognize academic progress, and what procedures minors must follow if they later wish to enroll in or return to a school. Uncertainty also remains over how families should demonstrate that they are meeting their educational responsibilities.
How can homeschooling be validated in Colombia?
Students who follow this educational approach have several ways to have their studies officially recognized in Colombia. The first option is through traditional Colombian schools, whether public or private. Under Decree 1075 of 2015, these institutions are authorized to administer proficiency exams and certify students’ knowledge grade by grade.
The second alternative is to enroll a child in foreign umbrella schools, usually based in the United States. At the end of the school cycle, the institution issues an international diploma, which the family must have apostilled and then submit for online validation by the Ministry of Education.
Finally, students who pursue an independent education without obtaining intermediate certificates can validate their entire secondary education in a single day. To do so, they must take the ICFES [Colombian Institute for the Evaluation of Education] High School Diploma Validation Exam, a requirement exclusively available to people aged 18 or older. Upon passing, the ICFES directly issues the high school diploma.
Without figures shedding light on this legally ambiguous approach to education, the situation raises questions about how the state can guarantee the right to education while recognizing that some families seek alternatives to the traditional school model.
Specific regulations, which are currently nonexistent, would make it possible to establish assessment criteria, mechanisms for certifying learning, and procedures to facilitate transitions between homeschooling and traditional schools. They would also help distinguish between families that implement an educational program and cases in which children may be deprived of an adequate education.
For now, the Ministry of Education’s acknowledgment exposes a basic shortcoming: Colombia does not know how many minors are being educated through homeschooling, nor does it have specific rules that clearly define and regulate the practice. Before assessing its scope and consequences, the country needs to understand the true extent of the phenomenon and determine how it should fit into the education system.