Educational Disparities in Colombia 1904-58: New Evidence From a Regional Level Approach

Abstract

Regional economic differences in Colombia have persisted over time. The present study seeks to contribute to the debate on the territorial differences of the country through the identification of patterns of low coverage in both primary and secondary education between 1904 and 1958. The results, coinciding with other studies on income, show a tendency towards the formation of an educational cluster in the centre of the country and the existence of a human capital trap in the periphery. The results also suggest that there is a high correlation between fiscal capacity and enrolment rates. Finally, it can also be observed that territories with the highest enrolment rates are associated with high urban enrolment rates during the process of country-wide urbanisation.

Reproducing Inequality? Elite-Biased Policy and the Rural–urban Educational Gap in Colombia and Its Regions, 1920-2019

“…Hence, we add supplementary information. Similarly, España-Eljaiek (2019) and Fuentes-Vasquez (2019) analyse regional disparities by constructing a series for students. However, their works focus on the period from 1905 to 1958 and lack any analysis of teachers or establishments.…”

“…Aware of the country's backwardness, in 1903, the national government implemented Law 39, which enforced a Catholic and decentralised system of education that delegated the responsibility for primary mass schooling to subnational governments. This arrangement lasted for most of the mid-20 th century, despite generating inequalities since only regions with a sufficient income could invest in schooling (Fuentes-Vásquez 2019).…”

“…Following Fuentes-Vásquez (2019), the decentralised organisation of schooling favoured education provision in regions with larger resources such as the Andean departments while delaying education in peripheral departments and the National Territories. Nonetheless, the peripheral departments and National Territories have an additional, potentially critical, characteristic in determining educational inequalities.…”

“…FES 1987;Helg 2001;Triana 2009). Similarly, works in economic history have studied the long-term development of schooling (Ramírez-Giraldo and Téllez-Corredor 2007;España-Eljaiek 2019;Fuentes-Vásquez 2019). However, although social studies do not provide a long-term perspective, the literature in economic history focuses neither on the rural sector nor on the role of national governments in perpetuating educational disparities.…”

“…Following Fuentes-Vásquez (2019), Kang et al . (2021) and Lindert (2004), this research searches for traces of this role by conducting a long-term descriptive analysis.…”