Californians, Having Curbed Bilingual Education, May Now Expand It

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/us/californians-having-curbed-bilingual-education-may-now-expand-it.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus

“It would be a tremendous symbolic step backwards because the whole issue had been dead and forgotten by everyone but the few activists,” Mr. Unz said. “We have an entire generation of students who learned English now entering college and the work force. There is not going to be any appetite to return to days of students languishing.”Much of the interest in dual-language programs comes from white parents who want their children to learn Spanish, Mr. Unz said, arguing that native Spanish speakers are unlikely to want to enroll in classes that do not rapidly teach their children English. “There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm from a small portion of parents, but I am very skeptical that will translate into a wholesale increase of these programs,” Mr. Unz said.