A teacher from Region Three collects the winning trophy
The Education Ministry’s Migrant Education Support Unit in collaboration with the National Literacy Department (NCERD) hosted its second annual ‘Spanglish Bee’ at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).
The competition saw Grade Four migrant pupils from Regions Three, Four, Seven, 10 and Georgetown participating. They were quizzed on spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension with a specific focus on antonyms, synonyms, homophones, and riddles.
Head of the Curriculum Unit at NCERD, Omawattie Ramdin
The pupils from Region Three emerged victorious followed by Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) in second spot and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) in third place.
Region 10’s Fernanda Gomez received the Best Overall award.
Providing an overview of the competition, National Literacy Coordinator for Literacy in Schools, Donella Britton-Shamsudeen, stated that the ‘Spanglish Bee’ aims to provide migrant children with equal access to educational opportunities and was designed to assess the literacy skills of the migrant pupils.
Some of the participants
She noted that it also seeks to preserve the pupils’ first language while simultaneously showcasing their English skills.
Meanwhile, Head of the Curriculum Unit at NCERD, Omawattie Ramdin offered words of encouragement to the pupils. She urged them to continue to strive for excellence and to take advantage of the educational opportunities available.
The first-place winners of the ‘Spanglish Bee’ each received an electronic tablet, compliments of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
