Colombia school investigation over ELN and FARC insignia assignment

A controversy has emerged at the Instituto Técnico María Inmaculada in Villa del Rosario, Norte de Santander, after primary school students were reportedly assigned a task to draw the insignias of the ELN and FARC guerrilla groups. The students involved are approximately 9 to 10 years old.

The school rector stated the exercise was part of a Social Sciences lesson regarding political parties and the Colombian conflict. However, the Norte de Santander Secretary of Education, Ilse Aldana Pérez, has launched an investigation to determine if the methodology and content were age-appropriate. Authorities are reviewing student notebooks, teaching guides, and the institution's educational project.

Additional tension has arisen from an audio recording attributed to a teacher, which allegedly discusses student evaluations following the controversy. While some parents have reported feeling threatened after expressing their concerns, the school and local authorities are conducting internal reviews and extraordinary meetings to establish the facts and determine if the activity was a legitimate pedagogical tool or an inappropriate use of armed group symbols.