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| DOUBLE TALK? September 29, 1997 |
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Questions asked in this forum:
What if the tables were turned: you lived in China and didn't speak Chinese? Do bilingual classes exist for educational or cultural purposes? What is the scientific evidence that bilingual education does or does not work? How does institutional racism influence the bilingual debate? Are there bilingual programs for students who come from China, Vietnam, Japan, Egypt, Kenya? Additional comments...
NewsHour Backgrounders
A NewsHour report on bilingual education.
The Ebonics debate moves to the U.S. Senate.
The disparity between caucasian and minority children's literacy rates is on the increase
February 11, 1997:
The U.S. Congress debates whether to ban the children of illegal immigrants from the public education system
Browse the Online NewsHour's coverage of education.
Outside Links
Ron Unz's "English for the Children"
The National Association for Bilingual Education.About 6 percent of all public school students in the U.S., 3.1 million children, are enrolled in bilingual education programs.
This costs the federal government $178 million a year. And to comply with federal law, states and localities spend billions more.
The recent push to balance budgets and control spending has led many lawmakers to consider cutting funding, or abolishing the system all together.
Our forum guests took opposite sides of the debate in a recent NewsHour report. James Lyons, the Executive Director of the National Association for Bilingual Education, believes that bilingual education gives immigrant children a broader linguistic and conceptual base. Ron Unz, the President of "One Nation/One California," a nonprofit organization formed to promote a campaign called "English for the Children," believes that bilingual education hinders immigrant children and separates them from society.
The issue strikes many chords. Many parents want their children to be in bilingual programs so that they can participate in their cultural heritage. Mr. Lyons says that well-run programs also help immigrant children catch up to their English-speaking peers who are already learning science and mathematical skills. If these children are not taught in Spanish, they will fall too far behind, he argues.
Bilingual program opponents say that what was begun with the best of theoretical intentions has proven itself a practical failure. Mr. Unz says that the downward spiraling test scores in California reveal the need to do away with bilingual education. He says that only 5 or 6 percent of non-English speaking students in California learn English every year.
The stakes are high. Forty percent of students who have difficulty speaking English never graduate high school.
What is your reaction? Should non-English speaking immigrants be forced to learn English right away? Are we spending too much money on special classes? What has been your experience with bilingual education?
Questions asked in this forum:
What if the tables were turned: you lived in China and didn't speak Chinese? Do bilingual classes exist for educational or cultural purposes? What is the scientific evidence that bilingual education does or does not work? How does institutional racism influence the bilingual debate? Are there bilingual programs for students who come from China, Vietnam, Japan, Egypt, Kenya? Additional comments...
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