Colombian National Bilingual Plan: A vehicle for equity or an instrument for accountability?

Abstract

ABSTRACT 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.