Say Anything Blog

Schools across the country are having a problem with the influx of students who don't speak English. Schools are trying to solve the problem by increasing the number of resources available to these students so that they can learn to speak our language, but some are saying that it isn't enough.

From Fox News:

Schools are trying to respond to the need: More than 3.7 million public school students were offered English language learner services in the 2001-2002 academic year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (search). In California alone, close to 25 percent of students received linguistic help.

But education advocates say the response isn't enough. They argue a de facto segregation is developing between those who speak English and those who don't -- the kind of discrimination the Brown decision was meant to work against.

"We're still far from fulfilling that promise," said Jill Chaifetz, executive director of Advocates for Children, a New York City-based organization that deals with education issues.

"School districts are way behind, (they're) not incorporating what is no longer a niche population."

Why is it that the government is asked to solve every problem like this? Is it really America's fault that these people are coming to our country without bothering to have at least a workable knowledge of the language? English is the language spoken in this country.

I really don't see how this issue is comparable to segregation. When Brown vs. The Board of Education was ruled upon many school distrcits had split students up into groups based on race. Race is, of course, something students can't change. These non-english speaking students aren't like that. They can choose to learn English and participate in class just like any other student. If they don't learn English they'll have to learn to deal with the limitations that choice places on them.

If these parents and students are really concerned with succeeding in this country they will learn the language. Thousands of hard-working immigrants do it every year.