summerize this passage in 3-5 sentences
Culture: Schools in Colombia
A businessman stands with his hands in his pants pockets, on a white background.
Children in Colombia begin school at age five and attend elementary school for five years. In the 1970s, due to the poor education in the rural areas, la Escuela Nueva, which means new classroom, was introduced for elementary-age students. This system of education allows for students to work and take exams at their own pace. Students who are gone from school for weeks, months, or even years, can return and pick up where they left off. This system aligns well with the culture, which supports children staying home to work and/or help the family when needed. Schools using this system are typically single classrooms with students of different ages. Since the implementation of the Escuela Nueva, more students get a basic education and can read, write, and do basic math. The government supports the program, which is now used by about 700,000 children per year in Colombia, as well as in 19 other countries. Testing shows that students in the Escuela Nueva program often out-perform students in traditional schools.
After completing grade school, continuing students go on to the basic secondary, which is made up of grades 6 to 9 and is required (although many students do not continue after grade 5). Next, students enter grades 10 and 11, which make up the mid-secondary part of their education. It is not required, and to enter, students need satisfactory performance on the entrance exam. Students are typically age 15 or 16 when they enter mid-secondary. These students must choose one of several tracks, and each track offers its own bachillerato, or diploma. Due to an initiative in place since 2002, the tracks are set up to align with workforce needs so that students can find work once they graduate. The tracks include the following:
Industrial track (Bachillerato Industrial)
Commercial track (Bachillerato Commercial)
Pedagogical track (Bachillerato Pedagógico)
Agricultural track (Bachillerato Agropecuario)
Social promotion track (Bachillerato en Promoción Social)
After students pass their graduation exams and receive their diplomas, they can take the entrance exams to enter into higher education. Currently, though, only the children of wealthy city dwellers are likely to go on for higher education, unlike students from rural areas. Due to the combination of the exam system and the wealth bias, the average adult in Colombia have attended only about five years of formal schooling.
Instruction in Colombian public schools is in Spanish. Some private schools offer instruction in English, German, or French, but most families cannot afford to send their children to those schools. In the public schools, all students are required to wear uniforms.
Schools in urban areas tend to have some modern technology options including computer labs and wireless Internet. Schools in rural areas typically lack technology and other resources.