[AAACE-NLA] GED test in Spanish

[Kathleen Muro]

The Spanish GED is a big boost in finding a job. Many employers use the 
GED as a screening device for job applicants. They often want oral 
English proficiency and a GED, and a Spanish GED is no barrier to that. 
Likewise, an individual can meet federal ability to benefit standards to 
get financial aid to go to college with a Spanish GED.

I think it is a mistake for WIA to refuse to support the Spanish GED. We 
have no official language in the US, (so how is this not a violation of 
one's rights?) and the existance of the Spanish and French versions of 
the GED test is testimony to the large numbers of returning WWII 
veterans who were language dominant in Spanish or French. Good enough to 
die for the US, but not good enough to get into government-sponsored job 
training programs? Doesn't this apply now with our present military 
involvements? I cannot believe the military, for whom the GED was 
created, would be happy with this.

Here on the border, I was one of the first advocates of Spanish GED and 
programs I worked in generated thousands of new GED graduates using 
Spanish GED. Before, a Spanish language student would sit in a class for 
English GED for several years without ever passing the GED, and usually 
dropped out in frustration with nothing. With a Spanish GED program, 
such a student would earn a GED in two or three months, and move on to 
college, ESL, or job training, with the added advantage that many 
employers would now take a look at them for a job, rather than screening 
them out.

I see this as one more step in proving the irrelevance of most of WIA to 
the real world. (It has already been demonstrated that federal job 
training programs have no impact on employment and earnings.) It is 
unfortunate that Adult Ed funds will be wasted keeping discouraged 
students in classes for long periods of time for an English GED, when 
they could already be moving on to their next educational or employment 
accomplishment. Finally, this is an effective reduction in seat space 
for everyone else.

One last point: we discovered that it was too confusing for students to 
combine Spanish GED with ESL, so we did them sequentially. With the 
Spanish GED, attainment was rapid (two to three months) and almost 
universal, so earning it was a major ego boost to the student. Given the 
frustrating task of learning English, which is a 'long haul' effort, it 
was beneficial for students to attain a major accomplishment so quickly.

Kathleen Bombach
El Paso, Texas & Sunland Park, New Mexico


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