The Ministry of National Education (Ministerio de Educación Nacional), through Directive No. 016 of October 9, 2020, provided the following guidance for the implementation of the educational alternation plan (Plan de Alternancia Educativa) that contemplates the implementation of the biosafety protocol adopted in Resolution 1721 of September 24, 2020 for each jurisdiction of the Territorial Entities certified in education:

a. The purpose of the educational alternation plan is to formalize the provisions, organization and management that must be carried out by the Territorial Entities with their territorial health secretariats, including those of non-certified municipalities, and the guidelines for the actions that correspond to educational institutions for the provision of education services under the alternation scheme.

b. Within 30 days following the issuance of Directive No. 016, the certified territorial entities must present the educational alternation plan to the educational community and the Ministry of National Education. After that time, the implementation phase of the biosecurity protocols for the entire education sector will begin.

c. The educational alternation plan will apply to the official and non-official education sector for the years 2020 and 2021.

d. The educational alternation plan will provide the indications and times determined so that the subjects intervening in the education service have sufficient information for the implementation of the protocols.

e. The educational establishments will advance their actions of biosecurity and gradual and safe return to academic work in the classrooms.

The Directive also contains a technical annex addressed to the Territorial Entities to serve as a guide regarding the minimum phases and components for the formulation and implementation of the educational alternation plan.

See full text of Directive No. 016 of 2020