Monday, May 25, 2009

Some holiday that will be

When Pam and I were teachers, we really looked forward to the summer holidays, counting down the weeks and days until they arrived. Wild horses would not have enticed us into giving up any of that precious time for schoolwork – well not until the last week that is.

Not so for more than 4,200 Spanish primary and secondary school teachers from the Madrid area who will be spending this summer learning English in an effort to improve the standard of bilingual teaching in the region’s schools.

Of the 4,200 teachers, 950 will study in English-speaking countries, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and the United States, while 3,250 will take the courses in Madrid. All of the classes will be given free of charge, while those studying abroad will also see the costs of their travel and board paid for by the Regional Government.

What choices for these Spanish teachers, forgo your summer holiday on the beach for a holiday in Sunderland learning to speak macum or possibly worse. learning English in a classroom in Madrid.

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