Earthquake in Colombia puts thousands of children's education at risk

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday has jeopardized the education of tens of thousands of children, particularly in rural and underdeveloped areas. The quake's impact is compounded by existing challenges such as poverty, chronic infrastructure deficits, and geographical isolation.

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What the children could do was approach their teachers and hug them, with that fear, living the situation.

These factors make it nearly impossible for children in many affected communities to access virtual classes while their schools are repaired, casting doubt on their educational continuity. Authorities have reported damage to over 3,200 schools nationwide. The devastation is particularly severe in impoverished regions like the Chocó department in the west.

In La Encharca, a remote village in the Medio San Juan municipality within Chocó, a rural school accessible only by boat remains without electricity, potable water, or internet connectivity since the earthquake. Community leader John Freddy Ibarbo Mosquera described the fear children experienced and noted cracks in classroom walls. The school awaits a technical assessment to determine its safety and repair needs.

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In our context, the truth is that it is very difficult due to signal coverage: we live in a rural area, in an area with very difficult access to social networks, we do not have an effective signal for children to participate in that strategy. And many families do not have elements like computers and cell phones.

The proposed government solution of shifting to virtual classes is deemed impractical in La Encharca due to unreliable internet signal and a lack of necessary devices like computers and cell phones among families. Similar educational disruptions are occurring in Pereira, where the Interior Minister reported that out of 165 affected schools, only 15 are deemed safe for immediate resumption of activities, labeling the situation a "national educational tragedy."

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It is a national educational tragedy.