This document contains 8 chapters of a 35-chapter book that presents a comprehensive diagnosis of current economic, social, and educational conditions in Colombia and their importance to development prospects and the quest for peace. The eight chapters covered here are part of a section titled "Sharing the Fruits of Growth with All Colombians." Chapter 21, "Education" (Eduardo Velez), describes Colombia's education system and current enrollment trends and focuses on seven policy issues: highly inequitable access to schooling, excluding poor and rural children; low, perhaps deteriorating, educational quality; high grade repetition and dropout rates; allocation of public expenditures; growing household demand for schooling; inefficient and inequitable decentralization of education management; and negative impacts of violence and social displacement on schooling. Chapter 22, "Health" (Maria-Luisa Escobar, Panagiota Panopoulou), looks at recent reforms in the health care system affecting financing, management, quality, and access. Chapter 23, "The Social Safety Net" (Laura B. Rawlings), outlines poverty rates among rural and urban children and youth and among displaced persons, and discusses social welfare programs relevant to these groups. Chapter 24, "Higher Education" (Lauritz Holm-Nielsen), discusses enrollment trends in higher education; rising returns to education; and problems with financing, governance, efficiency, and unequal access. Chapter 25, "Science and Technology" (Lauritz Holm-Nielsen), examines strengths and weaknesses in Colombia's science and technology sector, state of the country's information infrastructure, and lack of advanced human capital. Chapter 26, "Enhancing Employment Opportunities through the Labor Markets" (Vicente Fretes Cibils, Vicente Paqueo), discusses the labor market, industrial relations, lack of skilled workers, and needs for technical education and vocational training. Chapter 27, "Gender" (Maria Correia), discusses gender issues related to educational attainment, poverty, reproductive health, wage gaps, rural development, and violence. Chapter 28, "Indigenous Peoples and Afro-Colombian Communities" (Shelton Davis, Enrique Sanchez), discusses indigenous land rights, human rights, deterioration of health and socioeconomic conditions, and educational programs and development policies directed toward these communities. Appendices lists all ethnic groups in Colombia, demographic data, and social indicators. (Contains references in each chapter.) (SV)