\”Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world\’s work, and the power to appreciate life.\” – Brigham Young

For some high school graduates, earning that diploma wasn’t difficult. In fact, some probably graduated high school with very little effort. For some who have comes from different parts of Latin America, during early years of life earning a high school diploma can be a momentous occasion. But for some who have arrived in America during teenage years, earning that diploma can seem impossible. Today, those that have come to America from parts of Latin America are finding something to rejoice about: the Spanish-language version of the General Educational Development test (GED).

About 666,000 citizens take the GED test a year, with 4% being Spanish speaking. This makes Spanish speakers particularly excited because the state of California doesn’t differentiate between GED and High School diploma, and doesn’t even recognize what language you took the GED test in! Although this new practice is causing some ruckus in Congress, the debate about what Language the test should be offered in is being mostly among those who teach Adult Literacy.

“Within the adult education world, there’s a fair amount of controversy as to whether the [GED] instruction is offered in Spanish or English,” said Cheryl L. Keenan, the director of the division of adult education and literacy in the U.S. Department of Education.

Each year the government provides 560 Million dollars for grants in Education, but doesn’t specificially say what language the money is to be used fore. So, if the Department of Education has not bond the test to specifically Englsih, why shouldn’t the opportunity be offered in different languages?! Not just Spanish, but in Chicago there is a high Polish, Russian and Korean population, so why can’t the test be provided in those languages?

Althought many are singing hallelujahs over this idea new, some are not so excited about a Spanish version of the GED. Jim Boulet Jr., the director of English First, claimed last week that

“Bilinguial educatoin and Spanish GED classes are a terriable idea. Money should be spent on English Classes”.

With all due respect, I think Mr. Boult is missing the point. The GED is creted to test basic high school knowledge. The Spanish version is just that. It’s not a cope out, pr a less invassive easier form of the GED, it’s the very same test, only translated into a different language. And it’s probably worth stating again, (or 100 more times if nessary), when the Department of Educaiton donated 560 dollars in grants for Education purposes, they didn’t specifically the grants must be used for English education.

I don’t agree with Mr. Boulet in the least bit so I excited to read on to find out what Cathy Balestrieri had to say. I agree, 100% when she said she feels that citizens from other parts of the world should learn English, as they are living in an English speaking country, but claims that it makes sense to provide them with proof of there skills in Spanish as part of their education.

“If a kid has zero credits and is 17, he doesn’t want to be sitting in a 9th grade classs. What we’re doing with our marketing and recruiting is saying, ‘You’re going to make yourself more marketable if you have the Spanish GED, some English, and a trade.’

Personally, I feel that the GED testing provided in alternate languages is a brillitant idea. I feel that if less citizens are scared of language barrier, then will be more prone to take the test, especially if they are not worried about understand the written language.

Apparently, Robert M. Berezny, the state administrator for GED testing in New Jersey agrees with me.

“The belief in the community is that if they’re able to take the test in Spanish, more people would come out and take the test,” he said.

I think that offering the GED in a variety of languages is only appropriate. After all, we are the melting pot …