CBS:
Mandatory Arabic Classes Coming To Mansfield
February 7, 2011 11:03 PM
MANSFIELD (CBSDFW.COM) – Some Students at Mansfield ISD schools could soon be learning Arabic as a required language. The school district wants students at select schools to take Arabic language and culture classes as part of a federally funded grant.
The Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grant was awarded to Mansfield ISD last summer by the U.S. Department of Education.
As part of the five-year $1.3 Million grant, Arabic classes would be mandatory at Cross Timbers Intermediate School and Kenneth Davis Elementary School. The program would also be optional for students at T. A. Howard Middle School and Summit High School.
Parents at Cross Timbers say they were caught off-guard by the program, and were surprised the district only told them about it in a meeting Monday night between parents and Mansfield ISD Superintendent Bob Morrison.
The DOE has identified Arabic as a ‘language of the future.’ But parent Joseph Balson was frustrated by the past. “Why are we just now finding out about it?” asked Balson. “It’s them (Mansfield ISD) applying for the grant, getting it approved and them now saying they’ll go back and change it only when they were caught trying to implement this plan without parents knowing about it.”
Trisha Savage thinks it will offer a well-rounded education. “I think its a great opportunity that will open doors. We need to think globally and act locally.”
Mansfield ISD says in addition to language, the grant provides culture, government, art, traditions and history as part of the curriculum.
Some parents had concerns over religion. “The school doesn’t teach Christianity, so I don’t want them teaching Islam,” said parent Baron Kane. During Monday’s meeting Morrison stressed the curriculum would not be about religion, but about Arabic language and culture, similar to Spanish curriculum already in place in the district.
Kheirieh Hannun, was born in the Middle East but raised in the U.S. She believes giving students the option to learn Arabic will give her son and others like him the option to learn more about their culture. “It was surprising, but I think it’s okay, and it will help come down on the stereotype.” Hannun says she is hopeful the class could broaden the minds of not only students, but also parents.
The FLAP grant was awarded to only five school districts across the country, including Mansfield.
13 comments:
Midnight Rider,
While there is some advantages to learning Arabic as well as any other language, I have issues with this. Why are they requiring Arabic in particular to be taught, among all the other languages. The only way Arabic is going to be the language of the future for Briton will be if Muslims turn the Island into an Islamic state. The Arab world lags behind the west in all the major sciences, and not much in the way of technology has come out of the middle east, in the last century. Also, why should it be mandatory? Shouldn't be optional, where they can learn another language if they would like? Last but not least, I'm not sure they'll portray Arab Culture accurately.
Arabic as a “language of the future” . . .VMI coincidence? or are all references to ME culture and language going to now be identified as modern and the new 'it' theme for the future" the new 'journ-o-list meme' of the day?
Recall the list of VMI faculty in the "Modern Cultures and Languages" listing http://tinyurl.com/4zftc6k
Epa,
You mean the money is in the Arab-world because of oil.
Well, that's our fault isn't it?
That's like saying the money all belongs to the bank, yeah, I have lots at home, but I promised myself I wouldn't use it.
I don't think it's a very good argument, with all due respect.
Epaminondas,
You think the reason is purely economic? You think they think that's where all the money is going to be in the future.
Countries like Saudi Arabia are only remotely powerful economically right now, because of oil. Once the oil runs out, or something better is discovered by someone, most likely the Saudi economy will crumble. Economies in that region, in general are so heavily based on oil, that they've practically put all their eggs in basket.
Here's an example from European History as to why that's not a good idea. The Irish potato famine, might not have been so bad, had they diversified their agriculture much more and had grown a much greater variety of editable crops. In fact, if they had done that, we might not even refer to it as the Irish Potato famine.
Want to bet NO non-Arab muslims will be hired to teach these courses? With Arab Muslim instructors, students will be taught the language, history, and culture of Arabs from the Muslim Arab perspective. All to conduct business, EPA? B.S. It's DAWA, pure and simple. Unless you can demonstrate that Jewish, Christian and non-Muslim Arabic linguists will be hired - I don't buy your premise.
Anonymous,
Well in all fairness some non Muslims maybe hired to teach these classes, but given all the politically correctness in Briton right now, most likely they will not say anything about Islam or Arab culture that will make it very unappealing to the average British person.
Damien, No I am saying it is a language of the future the way Mandarin is, Japanese HAS BEEN, French always was.
If you want to do biz, it's another weapon on a resume. A responsible school system is doing RIGHT with this.
AMORAL
Pasto .. YES OUR FAULT.
It's not an argument, it is an OBSERVATION.
I observe that if you are going to be a geological engineer, civil engineer, electrical engineer, your career WILL BE enhanced (under tody's observances) by speaking fluent arabic
PS you can also work for the FBI, CIA, and DIA, where we have very few to NO americans born here doing this work.
RIGHT?
Epaminondas,
You have a point.
Epa,
Gotcha.
You do have a point.
But,
what makes you think French is a language of the future?
On the other hand, I wonder if introducing Arabic culture and language to elementary & middle grade students is a reaction to
1. Get ahead of the curve in response to
2. and undermine Texas Board of Education Adopts Resolution Calling for Textbook Publishers to Curtail Pro-Islam Bias
You know what? Simply put, whatever the reason, I would not want my kids spending their time on that language.
Why? Why am I so "narrow-minded?"
Because,
WITH LANGUAGE COMES CULTURE.
I guaran-fucking-tee you culture will be taught in those language classes.
Yes. With language comes culture. Yes. Exactly.
Pastorius,
You know what I'm sorry, I have to make a minor correction. For some reason I thought this story was about the UK. Maybe its because the name Mansfield sounds English to me. It mentioned that it was in the U.S, but I must have missed that somehow.
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