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Drawing upon Bourdieu's concept of capital, this article examines the enactment of the "Programa Nacional de Bilingüismo" (National Bilingual Program), a policy that aims to provide Colombian students equal opportunities to learn English. In this exploratory, sequential mixed-methods study, data were collected from teachers and students from three Grade 5 classrooms of public schools in Colombia. The findings revealed that the plan's differentiated enactment generates unequal access to opportunities to build language capital and unequal levels of academic language achievement among the three schools. We argue that the enactment of the plan to equalize opportunities and achievement and therefore build the language capital of Colombian students is obstructed by existing funding structures.

This research aims to analyze the conditions of geographical accessibility to the historic walled center of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, through the application of geostatistical models based on the use of GIS digital tools, taking as a basis the available transport infrastructure, the location of the tourist arrival points (Land Transport Terminal, Airport) and being complemented, with socio-demographic coverage analysis. The main result is that accessibility to the historic center of Cartagena is limited for a large part of the population, considering that the location of the historic center is on the western side and the urban expansion of the city is towards the eastern side due to its limited coastal condition. On the other hand, the main conclusion is that the accessibility assessment makes it possible to make decisions on interventions for preserving heritage, thus generating a more significant impact from the perspective of mobility and social inclusion.

The objective of this research is to identify the main characteristics and geographical distribution of bus stops, associated with collective public transport systems, through data analysis techniques that can identify clustering patterns based on various characteristics of the stops, such as geographical location, passenger flow, service demand, land use, etc. number of routes available, slope of the road, signage, among other relevant factors. The main result of this study is that the current layout of the stops is distributed according to the main characteristics of their environment, allowing us to conclude that the grouping of transport stops facilitates the interpretation of the location and operability of the stops, thus allowi ng to improve decision-making in the implementation of stops, guaranteeing an adequate operation of the service without compromising coverage and travel time of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carajasia cangae (Rubiaceae) is a narrow endemic species from the canga ecosystems of the Carajás National Forest that is facing extinction due to a limited range and habitat disturbance from hydroclimatological changes and mining activities. This study examines the influence of rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria on C. cangae seed germination to support conservation efforts. Soil samples, both rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric, as well as plant root tissues, were collected. Bacteria from these samples were subsequently isolated, cultured, and identified. DNA sequencing revealed the presence of 16 isolates (9 rhizospheric and 7 endophytic), representing 19 genera and 6 phyla: Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Chloroflexi. The endophytic isolates of Bacillus and the rhizospheric isolates of Planococcus and Lysinibacillus reduced the median germination time and initiation time, while the rhizospheric isolates Serratia and Comamonas increased the germination time and decreased the germination percentage in comparison to the control sample. These findings emphasize the crucial role of endophytic bacteria in the germination of C. cangae and highlight isolates that could have beneficial effects in the following stages of plant growth. Understanding the impact of endophytic and rhizospheric bacterial isolates on seed germination can enhance conservation efforts by shortening the germination period of this species and thereby improving seedling production. Additionally, this knowledge will pave the way for future research on the role of bacteria in the establishment of C. cangae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equality and equity have become dominant discourses within educational policy documents during the last decade. Colombia, for example, has introduced a language policy initiative that purports to provide educational equity opportunities for all through English language environments and opportunities within schools. Drawing on Ball's (1993. "What is Policy?" Discourse 13 (2): 10–17, 2012a. Global Education Inc. London: Routledge, 2013. The Education Debate (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: The Policy Place.) approach to policy analysis, this article critically interrogates the Colombian National Bilingual Program (PNB, in Spanish) by analysing the ways in which the concepts of (in)equality and (in)equity are addressed. We argue in this article that the PNB misrepresents the concept of equity, presenting a policy that aims to address it but fails to do so. Hence, this study reveals how rhetoric is used to position educators and institutions as accountable for the equal access to learning opportunities and environments that the policy promises. This article builds on the premise that contemporary educational reforms challenge the autonomy of educators, institutions, and local authorities by strengthening their accountability while governmental institutions centralise their authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Valuing urban public transport plays a vital role in the growth and development of a city. In addition, an exemplary system connection allows the formation of functional relationships between the different users and the surrounding environment. That is why, in this research, it is proposed as an objective to carry out a comparative analysis of the levels of coverage offered by Public Transport Systems in cities of the Colombian coffee region to visualize the current state of operation of each city. The research methodology uses geographic accessibility as a visualization tool complemented with the analysis of sociodemographic coverage. The main result is that the assessment of accessibility and coverage shows that the population has easy access in a travel time of less than 35 minutes. It can also be concluded that the evaluation process provides a broad view of the levels of transport supply in each city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research is (1) to identify places with a high probability of crash occurrence (LHPCO) in Villavicencio-Colombia and (2) to carry out road safety audits in each LHPCO to evaluate the behaviour of road users and speed measurements. As a methodological structure, the analysis of crash data is considered, linked to assessments of road safety audits, with which it is obtained that motorcyclists are overrepresented in the statistics of road injuries. In addition, a total of seven LHPCOs were identified. In these locations, pedestrians engaged in a large number of risky behaviours, and speed measurements indicated that car drivers select high speeds near crosswalks. Interventions such as public education or police enforcement are needed to reduce the risky behaviour of pedestrians and motorists near high-risk locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of opportunities in a specific area significantly influences the planning, development, and zoning of city neighborhoods. In this study, a methodological approach was employed to analyze pedestrian accessibility between two neighborhoods of varying strata in Manizales, Colombia. The research utilized the ArcGIS program, yielding results that highlighted disparities in service access and opportunities between the neighborhoods. It was concluded that higher strata neighborhoods offer greater amenities to residents, emphasizing the need to reconsider urban planning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]