DepEd to send 200 teachers every year to teach in Spain

DepEd to send 200 teachers every year to teach in Spain


The Department of Education (DepEd) has confirmed its plan to send 200 Filipino teachers to Spain yearly as English language teachers.


In August, Education Secretary Leonor Briones met with Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Moragas and of their discussions is about promotion and teaching of each country's languages.

Moragas expressed Spain’s interest to continue their Language Assistance Program (LAP) in the Philippines.

Spain’s LAP aims to enhance collaboration between the two countries with regards to teacher training.

Briones explained, through this program, Spain will hire around 200 teachers annually to teach the English language in their country.


The Spanish government had long been conducting seminars for LAP participants and this time they want to choose public school teachers and make partnership with DepEd.

They said that through this partnership, their seminars shall be more organized and certified by the Philippine Education Agency.

Briones added that the Spanish government is looking at initially sending 10 individuals from 2020 to 2021 for a pilot testing of the said program.

A memorandum of understanding (MOA) on the partnership is also being proposed.
The Spanish government also suggested that the teacher exchanges is truly beneficial to both coperating countries, especially so that the Philippines is already offering Spanish as a foreign language subject.

Briones said “We appreciate you for taking the initiative in visiting us and sharing the state of Spanish language teaching.”
B
riones also mentioned how the program will help boost DepEd’s Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL). She said they are considering to add Spanish to the special programs offered by DepED.

“We are here to talk about the teaching of Spanish as one of the seven languages for our high school students. I’ve read the MOU and I would be very happy to sign it now because it’s an extension of what we have done before,” the education secretary added.

DepEd’s SPFL is a program designed for Grade 7 to 10 students in the K to 12 Program who are already recognized to be competent in Filipino and Language. The program allows them to take extra subjects and learn another foreign language.