Is Bilingual Education a matter of civil rights?

[staciholland]

While reading Forbidden Language by Patricia Gandara and Megan Hopkins several thoughts occured to me as the authors bought up the notion that denying bilingual education to ELL students may actually violate their civil rights. At first I imagined a time when states would not educate, or restricted the education of other minority groups such as, Native Americans and African Americans. These ethnic minorites suffered from years of inadequate education in part to the government's basis feeling of cost and worth of educating the then unimportant sub-classes. I feel California's ban on bilingual education violates the civil rights of NNS by eliminating their right of a just and equal educationa and in order to right this wrong more politicians, on the state and local level, should hear from their constituents on behalf of the NNS as to the importance of viable BE especially where the population deams its necessity.

[Sally Olsen]

I thought California was broke. I support bilingual education but if you don't have the money, how will it be possible?

We have great bilingual programs in Canada, not just in French and English but those two languages are the major ones. It might be worthwhile to contact some administrators in the school boards to determine the costs and the methods. The research is all for it.

[arp10]

I recently began reading Forbidden Language, by Patricia Gandara and Megan Hopkins. I can understand why bilingualism is such a controversial issue in the United States, specifically due to the lack of funding. However, I do believe it is essential for this country to provide the education to these EL students in order for our country to flourish. With the rapid growth of the EL population we can not continue to ignore this issue.

[cunnin49]

I think evry child in America, whether born here or in another country should have access to education. I think teaching NNS in an Englsh only classroom is still robbing them of education. Until a child had proven to be proficient in English, opted out or the teachers see fit, children when possible should be taught in their native tongue. I dont think the students right governed to them should be taken away by the American education system.