Trends toward what young people in the Caribbean region want in higher education are related to Saber 11 test scores, orientation toward enrollment in specific careers and the increase in virtuality. This was revealed by a recent study by the Colombian Caribbean Education Observatory of the Universidad del Norte.
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According to the report, based on the results of the Saber tests, it was estimated that these are declining since before the pandemic, a trend that will have a direct effect on entry and exit to undergraduate programs.
With data from the observatory (see graph), it was estimated that since 2016 the average global score on these tests has been declining. For this same year, the results presented indicated that in the public sector, for the metropolitan area of Barranquilla the score was 259, in capitals of the Caribbean 251 and the global capital of Colombia 258. However, the downward trend was evident in in 2021 where the results were 243, 234 and 242, respectively.
On the other hand, the private sector also presented a downward trend. In 2016, the evidenced scores were for the metropolitan area of Barranquilla 279, in Caribbean capitals 281 and the global of Colombia 289. While for 2021 the data were 270, 275 and 283.
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In this sector, the country’s overall had a rebound given that for 2020 the result was 281.
In turn, Jorge Valencia Cobo, coordinator of the Colombian Caribbean Education Observatory, assured that “it is expected that, due to the effects of the pandemic, and in the absence of a clear policy of intervention to recover learning, the results of students upon graduation from high school. In other words, fewer young people will reach the scores that will enable them to access higher education.”
Looking at the license plates, the observatory analyzed that non-face-to-face methodologies have seen “significant” increases in the last 20 years. Thus, in terms of non-face-to-face modality, it is estimated that by 2021, 19,271 students entered higher education. However, this still does not exceed traditional education, which presented 40,006 admissions for the same year.
The trends reflected in the report in enrollment by academic area, it is highlighted that for administration and law, these represent a considerable number of students being those of high demand.
However, “its growth has been slowing down in recent years. Despite the fact that there are many students in these programs, there are fewer and fewer who are inclined towards these areas of knowledge”, they say in the report.
A similar case occurs with programs of engineering, industry and construction. Contrary to the above, programs related to social sciences, communication, data science, basic sciences and information management, despite not having a greater weight in enrollment, are areas that are growing.
“It could be inferred that all this movement of digital marketing and information processing has been attractive to students and hence its growth trend,” says coordinator Valencia.
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Faced with postgraduate training, the report estimates that by entering this type of program in the Caribbean region, fewer and fewer people are inclined to pursue studies such as specializations and decide to enroll in postgraduate courses such as master’s degrees. In the same way, for doctorates, it is ensured within the document that these have had a slow growth.
Enrollment for 2021 in specializations they were consolidated at 8,682, with a downward trend compared to the result of 2020 (11,226), master’s degrees rebounded with 7,572 for 2021 and doctorates presented registrations for 562 for this same year.
Diana K. Rodriguez T.
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