ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — The Antigua and Barbuda Government has given the green light to a new initiative aimed at strengthening multilingual education and deepening cultural and economic engagement within the region by establishing Spanish as the country’s official second language.

A statement issued following the weekly Cabinet meeting noted that, as part of the national policy decision, the recently re-elected Government of Prime Minister Gaston Browne has mandated the Ministry of Education and Science and Technology to begin restructuring the national curriculum at the pre-school, primary and secondary school levels to ensure that Spanish becomes a core subject within the education system.

“Cabinet noted that the policy reflects Antigua and Barbuda’s growing regional and international engagement and recognises the importance of equipping future generations with language skills that will expand educational, professional, diplomatic and economic opportunities.”