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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Grainne who wrote (23126)	6/30/1998 6:04:00 PM
From: DScottD	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

Christine-- I understand that bilingual education is a difficult issue, but in order to be a productive adult member of our society, a person must be able to speak and write English fluently. And if the purpose of education is to prepare a person to be a productive adult member of society, we are doing a disfavor to these kids by allowing them to be educated in public schools in their native tongues. Like it or not, we live in an English speaking society and business world and that has to be the focus of public education. That's not racist, it's practical.

To: Grainne who wrote (23126)	6/30/1998 7:30:00 PM
From: Zoltan!	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Wrong on all counts. Though I'm sure your heart is in the right place.

To: Grainne who wrote (23126)	6/30/1998 8:43:00 PM
From: Rambi	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 108807

Christine- Just saw your next post after posting this---it sounds as if you're saying really what I am---which seems to be what often happens to us though we get their by different routes. INtensive bilingual with English as the goal??? Do you really believe that requiring English is merely a "kneejerk, flagwaving sentiment"? Do you not believe that it's in every child's best interest to know English if he plans to live here? Why does anyone have the right to move to America and expect us to educate him in his native language? Should there not be a mutual effort made here to integrate him into the American culture? If you had moved to Mexico when Briana was five, do you think she would have been offered bi-lingual classes of the type we offer? Or any of the benefits offered to immigrants taht we provide? Should education be offered to her in English just because she's there and speaks only English? I agree with you that we should help children achieve. Anyone who can look into the eyes of a child and not want to help him in every way possible to live up to his potential, is beyond my comprehension. But when my tax dollars are the monies supporting these efforts and the beneficiaries turn to me and spit at my culture and at our language, although they are quite willing to take the benefits we offer, I tend to get a little irritated. I'm just not that altruistic, I guess. We already put a great deal of our tax money into these programs. To say we are violating anyone's constitutional rights is absurd. They have the right to attend our schools. Is it their right to demand an education in their own language? What next? We should learn their language? Which one? I am proud of my country; no country is without a past filled with mistakes, cruelties, and inequities. I believe we try very hard to do what is right. But I don't wish to be a sucker in some misguided attempt to meet everyone's demands. That is not compassion; it's weakness. I am for an intensive transitional program. I welcome anyone who wishes to be an American and all that it entails.