MoE’s ‘Spanglish’ competition aims to promote bilingualism in schools

…Region 3 wins 3rd edition

In celebration of inclusivity and recognition of the linguistic practices of students, the Education Ministry on Monday hosted its third annual ‘Spanglish Bee’, organised by the Migrant Unit. This event featured children from across the country showcasing their language skills.

The event aims to enhance proficiency in both English and Spanish through engaging and friendly competition. The competition was held at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) Boardroom in Kingston, Georgetown.
Chief Education Officer (CEO) Saddam Hussain, whilst speaking at the event, emphasised that Guyana stands out as a nation committed to inclusivity for migrants.
“We are in our third year for the Spanglish spelling bee and we have been doing an array of activities to prepare students for this event; during the holiday, the students were also in a camp as well as a number of activities are currently being organised by the Education ministry.”
“We are one of the few countries across the Caribbean that has a separate unit to manage matters that pertains to migrants, there has been significant work done,” he stated.
The teams competing in this year’s competition are Grade Three students from Georgetown, Region Three, Region Four, Region Five and Region Seven. The winning team received monetary prizes.
“So what we are going to do from the Chief Education’s office is that we are going to sweeten the pot a little bit and we will add a cash prize for the first and also for the second place, so this will be an ongoing prize,” he stated whilst being greeted by a round of applause from the students and parents.
In previous years of the competitions, children were awarded trophies and other items from other stakeholders but never cash prizes.
Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) Renita Barnes relayed that this competition also seeks to enhance the knowledge of culture from both sides. This is because the Ministry has conducted various analyses and came up with this.
“The ministry also recognises that the ability to seamlessly navigate against two languages is a remarkable social skill that must be nurtured and celebrated and I believe that we are geared to celebrate those two languages. The competition today provides a platform for our students to showcase their proficiency in both Spanish and English as well as your deep understanding of the cultural nuances that intertwine these vibrant languages.”
This year’s winner is Region Three while Region Four came in second place. Last year, Region Three also won the competition. In 2022, Region Four had emerged as the winners.