Controversy over Bilingual Education ABC
ANCHORS: PETER JENNINGS
PETER JENNINGS, anchor: We're going to take A CLOSER LOOK tonight at two experiments in education, one on each coast of the country, each of which has produced its own deep, persistent controversy--vouchers and bilingual education. (VO) Three years ago, Californians voted to end bilingual education and oblige children entering the school system to be taught in English only. A million and a half children, 80 percent of whom had spoken only Spanish. Now, the critics of this predicted that it would not work, that the children would be left behind. So we asked ABC's Judy Muller to give us a progress report. Unidentified Woman #1: Como? JUDY MULLER reporting: The man who led the drive to replace bilingual education with English only instruction in California has a lot to smile about these days. Mr. RON UNZ (Chairman, English For The Children): We're talking about the fact that in less than two years, the average test score of over a million immigrant children in California went up by 40 percent. MULLER: (VO) At Weems Elementary in the heart of Los Angeles, test scores on a state achievement exam rose in every grade in every subject. Ms. CLAUDIA BLIGHT (Second Grade Teacher): All right, Manual. MANUAL: I eat shrimp. MULLER: (VO) Claudia Blight teaches second grade there. Ms. BLIGHT: I am surprised. Yeah, I am. I--I--I understood and believed in the philosophy of bilingual education, that it was going to make them truly bilingual, and I thought that was a good thing. MULLER: (VO) She's also surprised that the cold-turkey transition to English only instruction was so smooth. She no longer has a Spanish-speaking assistant, so the kids are obliged to speak English... Unidentified Boy #1: I put my watch on my wrist. MULLER: (VO) ...a language most of them could not speak two years ago. How many of you speak Spanish at home? A lot of you. Today, these children are truly bilingual... Unidentified Boy #2: I could communicate with two language. MULLER: (VO) ...and they feel sorry for kids who can't. Unidentified Girl: I have a friend, and he's in kindergarten, but the teacher talks in Spanish, and he doesn't know how to talk in English. MULLER: (VO) Parents who still want their children taught under the bilingual method can request waivers from English only instruction, but at Weems this year, not a single parent asked for a waiver. Ms. ANNETTE KESSLER (School Principal): Our parents feel that the kids will be successful if they speak English, and they're 100 percent behind it. MULLER: Despite the success of English only instruction, educators are reluctant to give it all the credit for the higher scores. They point to factors unrelated to the change, such as better teacher training and smaller class sizes, and bilingual educators still believe their method can be highly effective. Ms. ANAIDA COLON-MUNIZ (Association for Bilingual Educators): In a study that we conducted we can see that, in fact, our students in the bilingual programs are still showing that they're doing as well or better than kids in all-English immersion. MULLER: (VO) Even critics agree that a good bilingual program has a place for children who are struggling with language skills. As for the rapid success of English only instruction, much of the credit really goes to the kids. Girl: I hope I get it right. MULLER: (VO) After all, they're the ones confounding the critics. Judy Muller, ABC News, Los Angeles. |