• Report: The School Council questions bilingualism in Madrid: almost 60% of those studying in English get worse grades than the average
  • Balance. Students of bilingual schools get better grades in Madrid

The Community of Madrid will continue to support bilingualism in the region and the next course will extend it to 24 other centers . "We are totally convinced of this project and everyone we talk to, except the radical left, of course, encourages us to move forward."

The statement is made by the Minister of Education, Enrique Ossorio, after EL MUNDO echoed yesterday a report from the School Board that reflects that students in one of the two English immersion modalities taught in the region - that of implantation in all the classrooms of the center get worse grades than the average in the Evaluation for University Access (EvAU). On the other hand, those of the other - specific classes - get the best grades.

«These data show that bilingualism is working in Madrid , because the bilingual program as a whole, which is the data to be taken, is 6.74, while that of non-bilinguals is 6.55. We cannot go to just one specific piece of information, ”says Ossorio.

In its latest report, the School Board, the highest educational body in which both the regional government and the unions and associations of parents and students are represented, provides figures for the 2017-2018 academic year broken down between the bilingual program modality with less burden in English and those who get worse grades than the average in the Selectivity test, and the section, where at least one third of the syllabus is given in the first foreign language, but not the average of both modalities.

«This demonstrates what we say: the more English you study, the better results you get . And that happens also in the note of the EvAU plus Baccalaureate, where bilinguals collectively get 7.28 and non-bilingual 7.21; while those in the section take a 7.43 ”, emphasizes the counselor, who also highlights the“ huge difference ”in the results of the English subject between students in immersion programs and those who do not.

In defense of bilingualism, the Community of Madrid also uses the results of the tests regulated by the Lomce that were carried out in 3rd and 6th Primary and 4th Secondary in May 2019 on the subjects of Language, English, Mathematics, Science and Technology and Social and Civic, according to the stage. In all subjects, bilingual students as a whole scored better than non-bilingual students , with particularly notable differences in English.

«We have not detected any harmful effects , but studies say that babies have maximum plasticity in the brain, that they develop better if they are bilingual, and that is why we want to reinforce in 0-3 and 3-6 [years] and, if it works well, reduce the teaching load in English in Secondary and Baccalaureate, ”explains Ossorio. In addition, he argues that English proficiency favors employability and can lead to salary premiums of up to 40%.

«Bilingualism is the great advance that education has had in the Community of Madrid and in Spain in recent years. It is an opportunity for the whole society, because before only people who had more financial resources could afford to have a bilingual education or travel abroad to learn English and now it is something within reach of the one who wants. It is a great opportunity in which we are not going to back down, ”concludes the counselor.

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