Why bilingual education?

What is bilingual education?Bilingual education refers to the practice of teaching non-English speaking children in their native language. Developed in the 1960's, such programs were intended to allow children to progress in subjects such as math, science and social studies while they learned English in a separate class. Bilingual education was meant as a transitional program, but students frequently linger in such programs for most of their school years.Why does ProEnglish oppose bilingual education?After 30 years of experimentation and billions of dollars spent on bilingual education these programs have failed to do an acceptable job of teaching English. Far too few students meet the goal of transitioning out of the programs. Moreover, students in bilingual education programs consistently score lower on standard achievement tests. Many of the students remain socially isolated and frequently drop out. Millions more graduate without learning fundamental English skills. This deprives them of opportunity in an English-speaking country.ProEnglish supports state initiatives to end bilingual education. We believe the federal government should stop funding bilingual education programs exclusively, and leave such decisions to states and local school districts. While we endorse the teaching of second languages, ProEnglish believes the first responsibility of our public school system is to teach children English.What programs do work?English immersion programs work. An Arizona study showed that students were lingering in bilingual education programs. In response, the voters of California and Arizona passed "English for the Children" initiatives, which mandated English immersion programs. In these programs, students spend one full school year intensively learning English. After that, they continue to perfect their English skills by using them in English-language classrooms. While Arizona has yet to implement their new law, results are already coming in from California , where voters virtually ended bilingual education in 1998. In just two years, achievement test scores have soared, in all content areas tested. The other option is an "English as a Second Language (ESL)" program. In such a program, students attend English-language classes in core subjects, such as Math and Social Studies. They also attend special classes in their native language. In these classes, they receive remedial help in their English-language subjects, and learn new English skills.In New York, ESL and bilingual education are both commonly used. In 2000, The New York City Board of education released a study comparing the two programs . The study found that ESL students scored far higher on achievement tests. ESL students were also much more likely to successfully be placed in mainstream classes. Students who weren't placed in mainstream classes were far more likely to drop out. The New York study was so compelling that former Rep. Herman Badillo (R-NY), who authored the federal laws funding bilingual education, now opposes bilingual education altogether. So why do schools still use bilingual education?A large, well-funded and politically powerful bureaucracy has grown up with a vested interest in the continuation of bilingual education programs. Federal funds for programs to help English-language learners are directed exclusively at bilingual education. If a school replaces bilingual education, it may lose much of its federal funding.Many educators promote bilingual education as a way of "maintaining cultural heritage."But bilingual education fails to provide students with the basic education they need to explore culture. The result is often students culturally illiterate of both of their cultures. Unfortunately, politicians often are afraid their votes against bilingual education would be perceived as hostile to minorities. This is ironic, since a READ Institute survey showed that 81% of Hispanics wanted their children to learn English first; only 12% wanted their children taught in Spanish. These immigrants have come to this country seeking the blessings of our society, yet our public schools often fail to give them the skills needed to prosper and participate in our democratic discourse.Resources:How ProEnglish is fighting to end bilingual education The current status of bilingual education in America English for the Children ballot initiative , with official arguments for and against California's Proposition 227. Papers on the effectiveness of bilingual education Test results show benefits of Proposition 227, which banned bilingual education Report to the Arizona legislature concerning bilingual and "English as a Second Language" programs Comparison of Bilingual and ESL students in New York City Hispanic dropout rates remain steady while others' drop Critique on bilingual education by Peter Duignan of Stanford University's Hoover Institute