MORE THAN 50,000 students from Trinidad and Tobago have graduated from the Spanish course the Venezuelan embassy has been offering here for the past 62 years.
This was reported by Venezuelan Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Alvaro Sanchez Cordero at the graduation ceremony for the latest cohort of students taking part in the language programme offered by Venezuelan Institute for Culture and Co-operation (IVCC).
On December 6, 15 people took part in a graduation ceremony and presentation of certificates at the Pamella Benson AV Room of the National Library and Information System Authority (Nalis) in Port of Spain.
Cordero said: “We are contributing to the development of the inhabitants of Trinidad and Tobago. In several companies we have approached and talked to their workers, many of them know the Spanish language and recognise having participated in one of the IVCC courses.”
He said IVCC is co-ordinated by his wife Monica Rey.
She has been in charge of organising and promoting both the Spanish and English courses for the past two years, he added.
“I invite the Trinidad and Tobago government to continue supporting and promoting these types of language courses for its inhabitants. Learning a new language is like having open windows to the world,” he said.
Education Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly congratulated the students, teachers and programme managers for promoting the education and training of local men and women.
[caption id="attachment_1126649" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Education Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, right, and Venezuelan Ambassador Alvaro Sanchez Cordero shared chat the graduation ceremony on December 6, in the Pamella Benson AV Room at Nalis in Port of Spain. - Photo by Grevic Alvarado [/caption]
“Today, when we have a large number of Venezuelan immigrants here, we realise Spanish is important for many reasons: security, communication and also for companies and businesses. The associations and connections for our young people are very important because there are many opportunities available in Spanish-speaking countries.
"I want to congratulate those who tried it and are now receiving their degree. I want to tell them I am inspired and looking forward to taking the step myself,” she said.
She said she hopes for more partnerships with the Venezuelan embassy on educational issues and to further expose citizens not only to the language, but to the culture, and that Trinidadians can benefit from that mutual cooperation.
She specifically mentioned the opportunities Venezuelan immigrant children are having to be able to study in local schools.
“We received 100 tablets from UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) who have been with the Venezuelan and Latino community advocating for the inclusion of migrant students in our schools. We have 60 Venezuelan students and we continue counting and we continue to process applicants who are eligible to be part of our community.”
The graduates went through three levels of the course spread over a year of study.
The teach
