Elevate teaching of Spanish

THE EDITOR, Sir:

There is a huge silence regarding the teaching of Spanish in Jamaica. We tend not to value its importance. There are schools today where the language is not even being taught.

More emphasis needs to be placed on the importance of Spanish. The Ministry of Education has been offering teacher scholarships for English and mathematics, but nothing for Spanish.

We need to understand that Spanish is slowly becoming a dominant language and is one that is spoken in dozens of countries.

There are schools that are doing exceptionally well in the teaching of Spanish, while there are others that need help. I have spoken to many students who are willing to learn the language and pursue a degree, but because of the lack of upward mobility, their desires are stagnant.

I urge the Government to issue scholarships, bursaries and grants to passionate students. Motivate, encourage and assist them in any way possible. If we are planning on achieving Vision 2030, we will need to value the importance of the Spanish language.

DYLAN ASHMAN

Chester District

Laughlands PO, St Ann