Chapter VIII. Challenges in developing a public education policy in cooperation with Colombia’s Indigenous Peoples

Following the issuance of Decree 0481 of 2025, which recognizes and establishes the Indigenous Education System (SEIP) of Colombia’s indigenous peoples and communities as a public policy of the State and sets forth other provisions, this analysis seeks to highlight specific issues within the implementation process of said system that may hinder its execution. The chapter aims to broaden the scope of the discussion regarding the creation of an indigenous education system that adequately and sufficiently represents the values and the social fabric of ethnic communities while simultaneously contributing to students’ individual development. To this end, we will first discuss the nature of what is commonly referred to as public policy in order to clarify the factors that increase the difficulty of its implementation; next, we will discuss the SEIP, its status as a public policy, and its inherent characteristics. Third, the implications of the shift in perspective from ethno-education to the SEIP will be analyzed to, finally, identify—based on the discussion—the problems inherent in the process of creating the SEIP by 2025.