In Colombia, although education is supposedly mandatory according to this website (I can’t tell you anything more about this website), our guide told us it isn’t so it must not be enforced. The drop out rate is fairly high as the students reach the upper grades.
Students start school at age 5 in Kindergarten. They go through grade 11. Like many Latin American countries, the “high school” is called colegio. The public university is tough to get into and private university is very expensive.
In recent years, there are some trade subjects taught in colegios.
Unlike in Nicaragua, the teachers are fairly well educated.
Both public and private schools wear uniforms here.
Students must buy their own textbooks; they are not provided by the schools.
More information is available here.