Online School & Homeschool in Colombia

Live online Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma, and American AP for corporate, industrial, remote-work, and Colombian families across Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, and Cartagena. Colombian law on educating outside school is genuinely disputed — we give both readings and name the validation decrees rather than picking the convenient answer. We teach eight hours ahead, so our classes land in the Colombian morning, which is the free half of the day for jornada tarde students.

From USD 423/month. Small live classes 4-6 students, Cambridge / IB / American AP through to A-Level — morning teaching, Spanish kept alongside.

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.

Homeschool laws and regulation in 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

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.

Fees and admission

From USD 423/month for Primary, payable termly; varies by curriculum and level. One-to-one tuition: USD 15/hour.

Frequently asked questions

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.

Guides for families in this country

What parents say

Rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 130+ reviews. Read our Google reviews

“Smartious eSchool is exceptional. Professional, caring tutors who truly understand their students and deliver results. Lessons are engaging, personalized, and well-structured, creating a supportive environment where learners thrive. If you want quality education and real academic progress, this is the place to go.” — Derrick A., Google review