In April, the office of the National Land Agency will be inaugurated in Arauca – news

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it many challenges that, after the safe return to school, caused 1.492 students in Arauca saw their attendance at classes in person limited.

According to the information collected, in Arauca information was obtained from 70 educational institutions, 69% of them in rural areas, related to school attendance, mental health, COVID-19 infection rate, teacher training, and infrastructure. The participation of teachers, administrators and students of these institutions generated useful results on the process of reopening schools, as well as the identification of good practices and strategies to reduce the risk of dropout.

Under the premise that schools are ‘safe and protective environments for girls, boys and adolescents’, through the Vamos Seguros al Colegio project, it is proposed to continue joining efforts to work jointly between the institutional framework, non-governmental organizations, the educational community , among other local and national actors in favor of advancing in closing educational gaps that have deepened with the pandemic. The year 2023 is an opportunity for these findings to have a place in the National Development Plan that is in progress in Congress, but also in the following local administrations.

The alliance between Red PaPaz, Save the Children, Cinde, the Universidad de los Andes and Educapaz has been carrying out actions with the Vamos Seguros al Colegio project – Sponsored by the Open Society Foundations to promote the school retention of students through the strengthening of families, the educational system, communities and local governments.

From the results obtained, it was identified that, regarding the emotional health problems of the students, 48% present economic difficulties to attend classes, while 47% do not do so due to lack of motivation and 26% due to fear.

Regarding the issue of infrastructure, only 56% of rural schools have drinking water service, while in urban schools 63% have this service.

Regarding connectivity, in urban areas 42% of schools have internet. In rural schools, the Internet connection service only reaches 22% of the educational centers.

In that order, the Vamos Seguros al Colegio project identified a series of actions that facilitate the adaptation of the student community for this 2023:

• Guarantee an infrastructure that allows students to learn and interact.
• Communicate the value of schooling and learning.
• Ensure the permanence of students in schools.
• Strengthen the capacity of schools to promote the emotional well-being of children and adolescents, starting with the strengthening of teacher training programs on these issues.
• Strengthen the work between the family and educational institutions and the parental commitment to advance in the urgent closing of gaps.

For the Vamos Seguros al Colegio project, it is very important to have decent infrastructure so that girls, boys and adolescents can go to study, as well as work materials and teaching staff with the capacity to serve the population.

Source: Red PaPaz, Save the Children, Cinde, the University of the Andes and Educapaz

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