Where our Colombia families are
Smartious Colombia families concentrate across Bogotá (the corporate and financial capital with a deep international and bilingual sector at premium fees), Medellín (the technology and innovation capital and one of the world's largest digital-nomad destinations), Cali and the Valle (the agro-industrial heartland and the Pacific corridor, thinner on provision than its scale suggests), Barranquilla (the Caribbean industrial capital, a flight from the Bogotá tier), and Cartagena (a refinery and petrochemical belt beside an international tourism economy). One disputed legal position stated fairly, one morning teaching window, and a school system built around jornadas that happens to fit it.
The corporate and financial capital · a deep international and bilingual school sector at premium fees · the diplomatic community · the country's university centre
Colombia's technology and innovation capital · one of the world's largest digital-nomad destinations · a strong bilingual school sector · an international resident population that arrived faster than the schools
The agro-industrial capital — sugar, food processing and the Pacific corridor · the Buenaventura port road · a major university and medical centre · thinner international provision than its size suggests
The Caribbean industrial capital · the Magdalena river port and the coastal manufacturing belt · a strong regional business community · the coast's university centre
The refinery and petrochemical complex at Mamonal · a container port and industrial zone · a tourism economy of international scale · a growing international resident community
How Smartious compares to top Colombia schools
Colombia has a strong international sector in Bogotá and Medellín and a very large bilingual calendario B tier beneath it, and those schools are good. Two gaps are real. Fees at the top put the tier beyond most Colombian professional families. And bilingual schooling is not the same as an internationally examined track — a distinction that matters at university application. There is also, unusually, a competitive market of Colombian home-education providers offering validation support, which is a different service from teaching and worth distinguishing.
| School | Curriculum | Fees (COP/year) | Status / Rating | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Colegio Nueva Granada and the Bogotá tier Bogotá | American, IB and international | Premium tier | 4.7 | Long-established and strong — the national benchmark |
The Medellín international schools Medellín | American and IB | Competitive places | 4.5 | Good provision for a city whose international population has outgrown it |
The calendario B bilingual sector Nationwide | Bilingual Colombian | Widespread | 4.2 | Large and useful — bilingual is not the same as an international examination track |
Colombian homeschool validation providers Nationwide / online | Validation support and materials | — | 4 | They help families validate through ICFES routes; they are not live international teaching, and the two are often confused |
Cali, the coast and the regions Outside Bogotá/Medellín | Thinner provision | — | 0 | Large cities with less provision than their scale implies |
US-based online schools Online | American online | Varies | 4.2 | Closer to Colombia on the clock than we are — families should weigh that against price and class size |
Smartious Homeschool (Colombia via online delivery) Delivered to all Colombia | Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, IB DP, AP | COP equivalent at prevailing rate | 4.8 | Every class live through A-Level + the disputed law stated fairly + morning teaching that fits the jornada tarde + the post-fifteen window used properly |
Fee ranges reflect published 2026 tuition for Year 7-13 across the school's tier structure. Specific fees vary by year group and additional school charges (registration, capital fee, books, transport, uniforms). Smartious USD pricing translates to fixed COP via the peg.
Homeschool laws & regulatory framework in the Colombia
Colombia is the only country in our coverage where serious domestic sources reach opposite conclusions on the central question. We are not going to resolve that dispute, and any provider who tells you it is settled is selling rather than advising. Here is what is agreed, what is disputed, and what is usable.
What is settled
Article 67 of the Constitution, third paragraph, makes education compulsory between the ages of five and fifteen, comprising one year of preescolar and nine years of educación básica. Article 27 guarantees the freedoms of teaching, learning, research and chair. Article 68 gives parents the right to choose the type of education for their minor children. And article 7 of Ley 115 de 1994, the Ley General de Educación, makes the family the fundamental nucleus of society and the first responsible party for the education of its children. None of that is in dispute.
What is disputed — both readings, fairly
The first reading, advanced by Colombian home-education organisations, is that the law makes education compulsory but not schooling — that nothing in it speaks of escolarización — and that the position is therefore a vacío legal in which families may educate at home provided they ensure a quality education and validate the results. Red Enfamilia Colombia describes the legal situation in exactly those terms: not defined, a legal vacuum, with the laws neither favouring nor discriminating against home education because they simply do not regulate it. The second reading holds that Ley 115 de 1994 requires minors to be enrolled in authorised educational institutions, and that non-presential education is available only to adults or to persons in exceptional personal or social circumstances, with attendance otherwise required between five and fifteen. Both are argued by Colombian sources in good faith. We present both and resolve neither, and we would tell any family whose plan depends on the answer to confirm their own position with the Ministerio de Educación Nacional and their secretaría de educación before beginning.
Scale, attributed rather than asserted
Colombian home-education organisations report on the order of eight thousand children and adolescents being educated at home. We attribute that figure to those organisations rather than presenting it as an official statistic, because it is a community estimate rather than a ministry count. It is enough to say that the practice exists at meaningful scale and that a support ecosystem has grown around it.
The validation machinery, which is genuinely clear
Whatever one concludes about the first question, this part is well defined and it is what families actually operate. Decreto 2832 de 2005 regulates validación por grados of basic and media studies, and provides that authorised institutions may evaluate those who have acquired each grade's knowledge. Decreto 299 de 2009 permits validating the entire bachillerato through a single examination — the ICFES Saber 11 — for those over eighteen; the age condition is essential and frequently omitted in summaries. Decreto 1075 de 2015, the Decreto Único Reglamentario del Sector Educación, consolidates the existing rules and defines the validation options for those not schooled. And ICFES Saber testing at grades 3, 5, 9 and 11 provides external reference points throughout the school career.
The window after fifteen
One planning fact distinguishes Colombia sharply from its regional neighbours. The compulsory range ends at fifteen and covers preescolar plus nine years of básica — which means the educación media years, grados 10 and 11, fall outside it. Mexico's obligation runs through media superior and Brazil's to seventeen; Colombia's does not. For an internationally minded family the senior phase therefore has genuine flexibility, and the sensible plan builds toward it rather than arriving at it.
What we offer, and the timezone that shapes it
Our default is live teaching alongside a school enrolment, which raises none of the disputed questions at all. We teach from Nairobi, eight hours ahead of Colombia with no daylight saving on either side, so our classes land in the Colombian morning — a seven o'clock Colombian block is three in the afternoon here. That works cleanly for the large number of Colombian students in jornada tarde, whose school runs in the afternoon and whose mornings are free, and for full-time learners. It does not work as an after-school arrangement, and families whose child is in jornada mañana should talk to us before enrolling so we can be realistic about which subjects and days are possible.
Why Colombia families choose Smartious
Reasons grounded in the realities of Colombia education — local school capacity constraints, corporate transfer and diplomatic timing, commute and logistics, currency stability, and the curriculum portability that mobile expat and dual-nationality families need.
The disputed law given fairly, both sides
Colombian sources disagree about educating outside school. We set out both readings, name the decrees, and send families to the right authority instead of picking the convenient answer.
Morning teaching that fits the jornada tarde
Eight hours ahead means our classes land in the Colombian morning — the free half of the day for afternoon-shift students.
The post-fifteen window used properly
Compulsory education ends at fifteen and the educación media years fall outside it — a genuine flexibility Mexico and Brazil do not have.
An examined track, not just a bilingual one
Colombia's bilingual sector is large; bilingual schooling and an internationally examined qualification are different things at university application.
The regions served identically
Cali, Barranquilla and Cartagena are large cities with less provision than their scale implies. Live delivery reaches all of them.
Honest about the eight-hour gap
We lead with it, explain which patterns work, and tell jornada mañana families to talk to us before enrolling.
What you can verify about Smartious
We publish only facts we can substantiate — operational history, curriculum coverage, teacher base, and infrastructure. No invented testimonials or pass-rate claims.
Founder-led education company
Founded 2019 by Alfred Ouko (BEd Mathematics & Physics). Smartious operates a full teaching team of 11 with two international-standard operational centres established 2022 and 2023. Not a marketplace, not a freelance network.
Two operational centres
Live teaching is delivered to Colombia families from two international-standard operational centres, established 2022 and 2023. Teachers work from professional academic facilities with accountability and infrastructure beyond marketplace or freelance models.
Cambridge-trained PGCE specialists
Teachers are PGCE-qualified subject specialists with Cambridge International training. Subject specialism means a Chemistry teacher teaches only Chemistry — not generalist primary-style teaching.
120+ countries served
Active students in Colombia and 13 other markets across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and Asia. Verifiable through cross-country cohort interaction in live classes.
Ontario Diploma (OSSD) partnership
Smartious students can earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma through our partnership with Canadian Cross International School (Ontario-inspected private school). The OSSD is recognised by Canadian universities (OUAC), US universities (Common Application), UK universities (UCAS) and globally — particularly valuable for Canadian U15 applications.
5 international curricula
Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level (primary offering), Pearson Edexcel International GCSE & A-Level, IB Diploma Programme, American Curriculum with AP, Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) via Canadian Cross International School partnership. Multiple credential pathways per family.
Live class transparency
Every class is live with recorded sessions for review. Parents can audit class quality directly. This is materially different from pre-recorded video courses with light tutor support.
4.9 from 123+ verified Google reviews
“What I love most about Smartious is how they make learning enjoyable. The tutors use engaging methods that keep children interested throughout the lesson. My child now looks forward to studying instead of avoiding it.”
“I have peace of mind as a Smartious Homeschool parent. No more traffic and early morning rush to school. Smartious are the most organized homeschool providers.”
“I am truly impressed by the level of professionalism at Smartious Homeschool and Tuition. The tutors are not only knowledgeable but also very patient and supportive. They create a comfortable learning environment where children feel free to ask questions. My child now enjoys studying and looks forward to every session.”
Reviews above are from our verified Google Business Profile. For Colombia-specific parent references during your decision-making, request these during your free assessment — we can introduce you to current Colombia families happy to share their experience directly.
Accreditation, Recognition & University Pathways
Smartious students earn qualifications administered by independent international examination boards. Recognition flows from the board itself — not from the school that delivered the curriculum. Below is the accreditation, examination and verification framework that connects Colombian Smartious students to universities worldwide.
Cambridge International
Cambridge Assessment International Education · University of Cambridge
Smartious's primary offer for Colombia families. Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge A-Level delivered as live small-group classes in the Colombian morning on a fixed eight-hour offset with no seasonal drift — which fits students in jornada tarde and full-time learners — run alongside a Colombian school enrolment. Cambridge Spanish available beside the English-medium core. Examinations at authorised provision confirmed per session; Colombian validación of studies, where a family wants it, runs separately through authorised institutions and ICFES.
Pearson Edexcel International
Pearson · UK Edexcel curriculum adapted for international delivery
International GCSE and International A-Level qualifications, administered by Pearson. Three examination series annually (January, May/June, October/November) providing additional flexibility versus the Cambridge twice-yearly schedule.
International Baccalaureate Organisation
IB Diploma Programme · IBO Geneva
IB Diploma administered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation in Geneva. Recognised by leading universities globally with particularly strong weighting at US Ivy League, US selective liberal arts colleges, Canadian U15 and top European universities.
College Board
American Curriculum with Advanced Placement (AP)
AP courses and examinations administered by the College Board, the US non-profit responsible for the SAT and AP programmes. AP scores are widely recognised by US universities for university credit, plus by Canadian, UK, Australian and many universities worldwide.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
Canadian Cross International School · Ontario Ministry of Education
OSSD earned through Smartious's partnership with Canadian Cross International School, an Ontario-inspected private school. Smartious students enrol concurrently with CCIS to complete the OSSD curriculum and credit requirements alongside Cambridge or other pathways. OSSD is one of the most recognised secondary credentials worldwide — particularly strong for Canadian U15 admissions via OUAC, US universities via Common Application, and UK universities via UCAS.
Examination centre arrangements in Colombia
International examinations require attendance at authorised examination centres on specific dates. In Colombia, established examination centres serve Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel and other major international qualifications.
Smartious manages examination registration logistics including centre selection, registration paperwork and deadline compliance. Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel examinations for Colombia-based students sit as external candidates at authorised provision, with capacity confirmed per family per session. Colombia's large bilingual and international school sector means Cambridge provision is established here — Bogotá is checked first, with regional options in Medellín and Cali and travel planned ahead from the Caribbean coast. Two Colombian points sit alongside that. Where a family also wants Colombian validation of studies, the machinery is defined by decree — validación por grados under Decreto 2832 de 2005, the single-examination bachillerato route under Decreto 299 de 2009 for those over eighteen, and the consolidated options under Decreto 1075 de 2015 — and it runs through authorised Colombian institutions and ICFES rather than through us. And ICFES Saber testing at grades 3, 5, 9 and 11 gives external reference points along the way. We plan the Cambridge calendar around whichever of these a family is using.
University recognition worldwide
Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American AP qualifications are recognised across the major university systems globally.
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Universidad de los Andes, Universidad Javeriana, Universidad de Antioquia, EAFIT, Universidad del Valle, Universidad del Norte and a large private sector — one of the stronger higher-education systems in the region.
Cambridge · Oxford · Imperial College London · UCL · LSE · King's College London · Edinburgh · Manchester · Bristol · Birmingham · Warwick · Durham · the Russell Group · the broader UK system via UCAS
Harvard · Yale · Princeton · Columbia · Penn · Brown · Dartmouth · Cornell · Amherst · Williams · Pomona · UC Berkeley · UCLA · Michigan · Virginia · top liberal arts and public research universities via the Common Application
Toronto · McGill · UBC · McMaster · Waterloo · Western · Queen's · the U15 research universities · OUAC for Ontario applications
Melbourne · Sydney · ANU · Monash · Queensland · UWA · Adelaide · UNSW · the Group of Eight via UAC
NYU Abu Dhabi · Sorbonne Abu Dhabi · Khalifa · AUS · AUD · UAE branch campuses · KFUPM · KAUST · KSU · KAU · Saudi national universities · Education City Doha (Georgetown · Northwestern · CMU · Cornell · Texas A&M · HEC Paris · UCL)
Berlin Humboldt · Munich LMU · Heidelberg · RWTH Aachen · TU Munich · French Grandes Écoles · Amsterdam · Leiden · Utrecht · Bologna · Sapienza · ETH Zurich · EPFL
How universities verify qualifications
Universities verify Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American AP qualifications directly with the issuing examination boards through standard verification services — Cambridge International Verification of Awards, Pearson's Verification of Results, the IB Organisation's verification service, and the College Board AP Score Reporting service. The qualification's credibility comes from the examination board itself, which is why these qualifications are equally valid whether earned at a physical school or through Smartious.
Curriculum approaches we offer Colombian families
British Curriculum
Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level · Pearson Edexcel
Cambridge IGCSE: Years 10-11, eight to ten subjects. Cambridge A-Level: Years 12-13, three or four subjects in depth. Pearson Edexcel as British alternative with three examination series annually.
Colombia families targeting the Cambridge pathway. Best fit for: (1) students in jornada tarde whose mornings are free, (2) families wanting an examined international track rather than bilingual schooling alone, (3) Medellín's international remote-work community, (4) Cali, Barranquilla and Cartagena families where provision is thinner than the city's scale, (5) students past the compulsory range planning the educación media years around a university target.
Live online classes in the Colombian morning, small groups 4-6 students, every session recorded, alongside a Colombian school enrolment.
IB Diploma Programme
International Baccalaureate Organisation
Grades 11-12. Six subjects (three Higher Level, three Standard Level), plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay (4,000-word independent research paper), and Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS).
Colombia families in the country's IB sector wanting live subject teaching, Theory of Knowledge, and Extended Essay supervision alongside their school.
Live online IB DP classes across all six subject groups plus Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay supervision.
American Curriculum
College Board · AP · SAT & ACT
US high school curriculum through Grade 12. Advanced Placement courses Grades 9-12 with college-level subject specialisation. SAT or ACT preparation integrated alongside curriculum delivery.
Colombia families targeting US universities via Common Application — a principal destination for Colombian students.
American Curriculum with AP courses Grades 9-12, SAT/ACT preparation, Common App essay coaching.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
OSSD · via Canadian Cross International School partnership
Grades 9-12 Ontario curriculum delivered through Smartious's partnership with Canadian Cross International School (Ontario-inspected private secondary school). Students complete the 30 credits required for OSSD including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) and 40 community involvement hours.
Colombian families targeting Canadian U15 universities (Toronto, McGill, UBC, McMaster, Waterloo, Western, Queen's) via OUAC, US universities via the Common Application, UK universities via UCAS, and Australian universities. The OSSD is particularly strong for direct Canadian university applications because students apply as Ontario secondary graduates rather than international students.
Live online instruction by qualified subject teachers, concurrent enrolment with Canadian Cross International School for official OSSD transcripting, Ontario course codes (ENG4U, MHF4U, SCH4U etc.) recorded against each student. CCIS issues the official Ontario diploma and transcript on successful completion of the OSSD requirements.
Primary, Secondary & Sixth Form
Primary Programmes
Ages 5-11 · Years 1-6 · Grades 1-5 · IB PYP
Cambridge Primary, Common Core or IB Primary Years Programme. Live classes are age-appropriate in length (40-50 minutes), scheduled in your local COT time zone to suit Primary-age attention spans. Small group sizes support individual attention. Weekly parent dashboards and monthly written reports cover academic and developmental progress.
Secondary Programmes
Years 7-11 · Grades 6-11
Lower Secondary (Years 7-9) builds the foundations for IGCSE entry. IGCSE Years (10-11) cover eight to ten subjects with examination registration at Authorised Colombian Cambridge provision. One-on-one subject choice consultation at IGCSE entry aligns subjects with university targets. Mid-year arrivals accepted with academic catch-up support.
Sixth Form & University Preparation
Years 12-13 · Grades 11-12
Colombian universities admit principally on the bachillerato and the ICFES Saber 11 result, and holders of foreign qualifications go through convalidación procedures with requirements confirmed per case rather than automatically — a family intending to enter Colombian higher education should begin that early. It is worth noting that Saber 11 also serves as the single-examination route to validating the whole bachillerato for those over eighteen under Decreto 299 de 2009, which makes it doubly important for families outside the ordinary school route. Outward, Colombian students are strongly oriented toward the United States and Spain, with Canada growing quickly, and all three read Cambridge A-Levels, the IB Diploma, and AP records directly; UCAS reads A-Levels natively; and A-Levels are accepted in 160+ countries. Smartious provides personalised university guidance across US, Spanish, Canadian, UK (UCAS), and Colombian destinations.
Eight reasons Colombian families choose Smartious
Each reason is grounded in something verifiable — not in marketing claims.
Experienced international educators
Subject-specific degree-qualified teaching staff with cumulative experience across Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American Curriculum. Many hold advanced teaching credentials including PGCE, Cambridge PDT certification, or national teaching registration in their home jurisdiction.
Personalised learning plans
Every student begins with an initial assessment. The learning plan that follows is tailored to academic level, subject preferences, target universities and family situation — not a one-size-fits-all schedule.
Academic assessments
Initial diagnostic assessment. Weekly informal assessment within classes. Monthly formal assessments. Mock examinations under timed conditions during IGCSE and A-Level years. Results inform teaching adjustments.
Small class sizes
Online tier classes have four to six students. Online Plus has smaller groups. Premium is one-on-one. Class size affects individual attention, question response time, and student speaking time during class.
Progress monitoring
Weekly parent dashboards showing attendance and assessment results. Monthly written subject reports from each teacher. Termly comprehensive reports covering academic progress, study habits and university preparation.
Parent communication
Direct communication with subject teachers and form tutors via the parent portal. Email for admissions and pastoral matters, with response within one business day. Scheduled parent-teacher meetings each term.
Global student community
Live classes bring together students from across 14 countries. Wednesday afternoon enrichment programmes — coding, robotics, debate, Model UN, chess, journalism, leadership — develop collaborative learning across geographies.
University admissions guidance
Progressive guidance from Year 10 onwards. UCAS, Common Application, OUAC, UAC and direct university application support. Personal statement coaching, interview preparation and offer-management guidance.
Alfred Ouko
Founder, Smartious Homeschool & eSchool
Alfred Ouko is the founder of Smartious Homeschool & eSchool, established in 2019 while studying at the University of Nairobi. He has grown the organisation from a tuition support service into an international online school serving families across 14 countries, including Alfred Ouko founded Smartious in Nairobi in 2019 to make international qualifications accessible to families at online-delivery fees rather than campus ones. Colombia families join students across more than seventy countries — and Colombia is the market where we have had to be most careful about what the law actually says, because Colombian sources themselves disagree..
Bachelor of Education (Science) — Mathematics and Physics, University of Nairobi (2022)
- Over six years supporting students through international curriculum pathways — Cambridge International (IGCSE and A-Level), Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma Programme, American Curriculum with AP, and homeschooling pathways.
- Direct teaching experience in secondary-level Mathematics and Physics across multiple international curriculum boards.
- Leadership of curriculum development, teacher recruitment and academic standards across Smartious's two international-standard operational centres and online programmes serving Colombia families.
- Specialism in supporting students through university admissions to Alfred holds a BEd in Mathematics and Physics — Smartious's Cambridge A-Level and IB Diploma STEM subjects are led personally when needed, suiting Cartagena's refinery families, Medellín's technology households, and every medicine-bound student in Cali and Bogotá. Head of Academics supervises curriculum delivery and university placement strategy per family..
“International curriculum mastery is achievable for students from any background when subject specialists, small class sizes, and individual academic plans are combined with the discipline and structure good schools provide.”
Common questions from Colombia families
Is homeschooling legal in Colombia?+
Colombian sources genuinely disagree and we will not pretend the question is settled. Home-education organisations argue that education is compulsory but schooling is not, and describe the position as a legal vacuum; others read Ley 115 de 1994 as requiring enrolment in authorised institutions, with non-presential education limited to adults or exceptional circumstances. Both are argued in good faith. Confirm your own position with the Ministerio de Educación Nacional and your secretaría de educación.
What is actually agreed?+
That education is compulsory between five and fifteen under article 67 of the Constitution, covering one year of preescolar and nine of básica; that articles 27 and 68 guarantee freedom of teaching and the parental right to choose the type of education; and that Ley 115 de 1994 makes the family first responsible for children's education.
How are studies validated in Colombia?+
Decreto 2832 de 2005 regulates validación por grados through authorised institutions; Decreto 299 de 2009 permits validating the whole bachillerato in a single examination — Saber 11 — for those over eighteen; and Decreto 1075 de 2015 consolidates the options for those not schooled. ICFES Saber testing at grades 3, 5, 9 and 11 gives reference points along the way.
Is there a window after the compulsory years?+
Yes, and it distinguishes Colombia from its neighbours. The obligation ends at fifteen and covers preescolar plus nine years of básica, so the educación media years fall outside it — unlike Mexico, where the obligation runs through media superior, or Brazil, where it runs to seventeen.
Eight hours behind — how does the timetable work?+
Our classes land in the Colombian morning, not the afternoon. For students in jornada tarde that is the free half of the day and it works cleanly; for full-time learners mornings are natural anyway. It does not work after school, and jornada mañana families should talk to us before enrolling.
Why Cambridge when Colombia has a large bilingual sector?+
Because bilingual schooling gives fluency and classroom culture while universities abroad assess qualifications. Cambridge IGCSEs and A-Levels are read directly rather than equivalence-assessed, and A-Level provision here is thinner than bilingual provision.
Where do Colombian students sit Cambridge examinations?+
At authorised provision confirmed per family per session. Colombia's international and bilingual sector means Cambridge provision is established — Bogotá first, with regional options in Medellín and Cali.
Which parts of Colombia does Smartious cover?+
Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and the Valle, Barranquilla, and Cartagena have dedicated pages. Live online delivery works identically anywhere in the country.
Colombian students join a 14+ country global cohort
Live classes bring together students from across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and Asia. A Colombia student in our Year 11 IGCSE Mathematics class will be alongside peers in Cairo, Dubai, Bangkok, Seoul, Casablanca and Kigali. The Wednesday enrichment programmes (debate, Model UN, robotics, journalism) operate as one global classroom rather than thirteen separate national ones.