The Ministry of Education’s Migrant Education Support Unit in collaboration with the National Literacy Department (NCERD) on Tuesday hosted the second annual Spanglish Bee at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development.
The competition saw Grade Four migrant pupils from Regions Three, Four, Seven, Ten and Education District Georgetown participating. They were quizzed on spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension with specific focus on antonyms, synonyms, homophones, and riddles.
The pupils from Region Three emerged victorious after attaining 97 points. Region Four received 84 points and was awarded second place, and Region Ten gained 82 points and received third place. Meanwhile, Region Seven and District Georgetown received 25 and 5 points respectively.
Region Ten’s Fernanda Gomez received the Best Overall award.
Providing an overview of the competition, National Literacy Coordinator for Literacy in Schools, Ms. Donella Britton-Shamsudeen, stated that the Spanglish Bee aims to provide migrant children will equal access to educational opportunities and was designed to assess the literacy skills of the migrant pupils.
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, Ms 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 Organization for Migration (IOM).
