School Return Plan After Earthquake

On August 21, 2026, the official plan was released for students affected by the earthquake on August 10 to return to classes. The strategy, presented by the government through Minister of Education Viviane Morales, involves the use of churches, compensation funds, and the virtual modality to ensure that more than 400,000 students do not lose the school semester.

Phases of the educational plan

The actions planned to make up for classes in the schools affected by the tremor include the phases of immediate response, reception and stabilization, educational continuity, and recovery.

Virtual education and connectivity

One of the first options adopted is virtual education. In the rural zone, the process will seek satellite connectivity and distribute tablets with the Colombia Aprende program, complementing the initiative with subsidies for mobile data plans.

The minister warned that this reality differs from the one experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, since adults in households must go out to work and minors will not have permanent supervision at home.

Itinerary schools and safe spaces

Another methodology used will be that of itinerant schools, consisting of in-person meetings in temporarily authorized safe venues. Community halls, public libraries, churches, and compensation funds will be used.

These spaces will allow the coordination of weekly in-person meetings between students, teachers, and a network of 6,000 tutors redirected to critical points.

Actions on damaged infrastructures

In schools with critical damage or under threat of demolition, the installation of temporary classrooms and emergency tents is planned. In schools with moderate impact, counter-shifts, flexible teacher relocation, socio-emotional support, and the prioritization of essential learning will be implemented.

In municipalities declared in emergency whose schools did not suffer structural damage, alternation plans and curricular flexibility adjusted to each community will be applied.