KINGSTON, Jamaica — Some 851 students from the Ministry of Education’s regions 3 and 4 who sat Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Spanish in July had the fees for the oral component of the exam covered by the Spanish-Jamaican Foundation (SJF).                                                 

 The foundation spent $1.4 million on the initiative.

The SJF has underwritten the costs of the oral examinations for all students of public high schools in the parishes of St Ann, Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland since 2013.

This year, despite the challenges faced by COVID-19, the foundation said it remained firm in its commitment to assist the students.

On behalf of the students, Krystal Edwards of Ocho Rios High School expressed appreciation and gratitude to the SJF for the contribution, especially during this period which saw students adapting to numerous changes while continuing to focus on their studies.

SJF president, Josep Bosch reiterated that “In this especially difficult time due to the COVID-19 pandemic the foundation has shifted its focus to supporting the Ministry of Health but could not discontinue giving support to the students learning the Spanish language.”

He further highlighted that “Spanish matters for Jamaica as it means more opportunities for the students in terms of scholarships and better jobs”.

The SJF, founded in 2006, is a collaborative effort of a number of Spanish companies with current investments in Jamaica.