Hazel: Spanish for primary schools

EDUCATION MINISTER Hazel Manning yesterday announced that from September, all primary school students will be introduced to a conversational Spanish programme, previously unheard of in Trinidad and Tobago. Speaking at the post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall,  Manning said Government will introduce this programme on a phased basis in all primary schools and the programme will run until 2010, with phase one costing over $30 million. “Its major focus is to develop a strong capability in oral communication as well as to foster an awareness and a sensitivity to Hispanic culture. Its underlying purpose is to make the learning of Spanish an exciting, successful and fun experience and in the process, increase the students’ desire to develop further proficiency in this language,” she explained.

Manning said Cabinet agreed, with immediate effect, to create three teacher/educator, five curriculum officer and eight teacher (I) positions for this programme. “Cabinet also agreed to the utilisation of native speakers to assist with conversational Spanish and culture-related activities. These would be citizens of Spanish-speaking countries such as Venezuela and Spanish-speaking citizens resident in TT if they are enrolled in schools and or institutions registered with the Ministry of Education, or if they are employed at one of the embassies of Spanish-speaking countries accredited to TT,” the Minister stated.

Manning said it was instructive to note that this programme follows on the heels of the “introduction of the Spanish curriculum as one of the eight compulsory subjects at the secondary level.”  She added that there would be no oral final exam in this programme, with greater emphasis being placed in the programme on listening and speaking than on reading and writing. Manning also said Spanish would not be included as one of the subjects in the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examination.