Page 6 - ELG1807 July Issue 459

NEWS .

SPANISH SCHOOLS DITCH BILINGUAL

PROGRAMMES

By Melanie Butler class families who can afford to Iglesia en Valladolid
Nearly 100 schools in the Spanish send their children to private
region of Castilla La Mancha lessons after school.
are abandoning their bilingual Academic results have been
programmes, with the local more disappointing in the rural
government’s approval. areas where it has proved difficult
Of the 99 schools that to find teachers with a high
petitioned the government of the enough language level to teach
autonomous region, only one, their subject in English.
Cristobal Colon primary school in Spain’s anti-Clil campaigners
Albacete, was refused permission have celebrated the decision in
to drop the bilingual programme Castilla La Mancha as a victory
after parents voted unanimously over a divisive and discriminatory
to keep it. system.
In the last decade, bilingual Supporters of bilingual
state schools teaching some education, however, also
subjects in English or French have welcomed the move, described by
spread rapidly across the regions Xavier Gisbert of the association
of the country where Castilian Enseñanza Bilingüe as ‘difficult
Spanish is the first language. but a brave and wise decision’. in schools that were struggling to of bilingual education in Castilla
Educational outcomes in the The roll out of bilingual schools cope. La Mancha.’
richer regions, such as Madrid, in the region was uncontrolled ‘The Asociación Enseñanza The regional government
have reportedly been good across and excessive, he argued, and Bilingüe celebrates this measure,’ has already announced the
all academic subjects, although the logical consequence of this Gisbert told the Gazette, ‘and introduction of bilingual teachers
critics of the system complain it expansionism was to drop the we hope that it presages the into 35 other schools.
discriminates in favour of middle- programme, at least temporarily, beginning of a real improvement

A new Punjabi comedy film depicts pass the Ielts language exam is a
IELTS the struggles of a young man significant hurdle to overcome.
preparing for his Ielts exam. Jatt vs. Writer and director Devi
STARS IN IELTS shares the story of a young Dutt said he wanted the ‘cynical
Punjabi man who wants to leave
humour’ of the film to comment
his small village and go to Canada. on the ‘crowd mentality’ of young
PUNJABI film’s trailer has struck a chord, Punjabis who want to go abroad.
And a YouTube video of the
‘After coming to Punjab, I
attracting 1.8 million views. realised about the craze of settling
FILM However, as many Punjabis abroad here. Then I decided
with similar aspirations know, the to make a film on it,’ Dutt told
looming prospect of having to Tribune India.

newsinbrief

INTERNATIONAL TEENAGERS IN STUDENT ENROLMENT AN ONLINE TEACHING STUDENTS FROM EU
STUDENTS THE UK TOOK TO IN INTENSIVE ENGLISH START-UP COUNTRIES STARTING
wanting to study in TWITTER Programmes (IEPs) established just five courses at English
Australia must now to complain after a in the United States years ago to teach universities in the
prove their speaking question in an English dropped 20 per cent in Chinese primary academic year 2019/20
proficiency in English language exam asked: 2017, according to Icef school children has will continue to pay the
language. The Toefl ‘What is a selfie?’ One Monitor. Conversely, been valued at over $3 same tuition fees as those
paper-based test is no of the 15 and 16-year- enrolment in Canadian billion. The number of from the UK. EU students
longer accepted for visa olds taking the exam IEPs rose 20 per cent the students using Vipkid applying to study at
applications as it does said it made them same year. More than has boomed in the past English universities will
not measure spoken ‘cringe’ at the exam 71 per cent of IEPs that year, rising from 200,000 still qualify for ‘home fee
English. The government board trying to be ‘hip responded cited the to 300,000. status’ for the duration of
is currently accepting and modern’, the Sun current political climate Teacher numbers have their course, Education
Ielts, the PTE Academic newspaper reports. in the U.S. as a primary shot up from 20,000 Secretary Damian Hinds
test and Occupational The WJEC Eduqas factor. to 40,000 over the said. Students will also
English Test. The Toefl exam board, which The share of students same time period. The have access to the same
internet-based test produced the GCSE coming from Saudi company uses language kinds of government-
results continue to be paper, refused to Arabia dropped 17 per teachers based in the supported student loans
accepted’. comment on the issue. cent. US. available to locals.

6 July 2018

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