The general director of Organization of Education, Inclusion and Innovation of the Ministry of Education, David Pablos, participated in the Fulbright Orientation Days 2025, a national reference meeting that brings together fellows from the United States in Spain.
Within the framework of the conference, the general director held meetings aimed at expanding the collaboration between the area directed by Poli Suárez and the Fulbright Spain Commission with the aim of increasing the presence of conversation assistants in the educational centers of the islands.
Specifically, David Pablos, who was accompanied by the head of Plurilingualism and Intercultural Education of the Canary Islands, Donovan McLean, and the coordinator of the Conversation Assistants Program, Lara Pérez, held several meetings with the executive director of the Fulbright Commission, Alberto López; the counselor for public diplomacy of the United States Embassy, Michelle L. Riebeling, and the head of the Department of Scholarships, Lectureships and International Mobility at the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID), David Mayora.
With this initiative, the Ministry of Education intends to strengthen the learning of foreign languages, promote plurilingualism and promote intercultural education, in addition to strengthening educational and cultural ties with the United States.
“The promotion of plurilingual education and multiculturalism is one of the main lines of action in the Ministry of Education today and, therefore, we are committed to expanding and improving our plurilingualism projects, both in English, French, German or Italian”, said the general director.
In parallel, there are other projects such as that of conversation assistants, with which the Ministry provides educational centers with native, Anglo-Saxon, English-speaking or French-speaking personnel, who “actively collaborate with foreign language teachers”, Pablos stressed, who defined Fulbright as an essential ally because it provides personnel with a very high level of performance in the classroom of American origin. He also stated that they are working to increase the number of conversation assistants and explore new lines of collaboration, including the implementation of training programs aimed at teachers in the Canary Islands education system.
During the conference, specific training was also carried out for the conversation assistants who will arrive in the Canary Islands through the existing cooperation agreement between both organizations. The presence of these professionals in the learning space reinforces the learning of foreign languages and contributes to enriching the educational experience of students, favoring knowledge of other cultures, respect for diversity and democratic coexistence.
The Canary Islands —along with Madrid and Galicia— are at the forefront of Spain in the number of Fulbright conversation assistants who carry out their work in the classrooms. This leading position reflects the sustained commitment of the Canary Islands to improving the linguistic competence of students, promoting plurilingualism and building a school open to diversity and intercultural education.
With this initiative, the Ministry of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands strengthens international ties and reinforces a framework of cooperation that improves the quality of the educational system and prepares students for a global society.
