Thread: TX: Mandatory Arabic Classes Coming To Mansfield

Mandatory Arabic Classes Coming To Mansfield

February 7, 2011 11:03 PM
WITH VIDEO

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?â€

This is so wrong on so many levels. I think it's a great idea to require
students to learn a foreign language but the langauge they learn should
be the choice of the students and the parents.

I also think that the languages taught should be one of the major
languages, Spanish, German, French, Latin or Chinese.

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.

Arabic classes would be mandatory at Cross Timbers Intermediate School and Kenneth Davis Elementary School.

Am I missing something here?

Def

I gotta agree. I support languages and support making it mandatory for a language class but there needs to be a choice and its language only. The choices should be chosen from the top countries that are granting middle to higher end careers. Such now would be German, Chinese, Japanese, and French.

Sorry but Arabic will not be a world needed language unless it comes with religion and a massive takeover of Islam which well, we don't support as an American value. Spanish is relatively low in the need as Spanish countries are more often closer to 3rd world settings and the only reason is communicating with such if were going to support cheap labor. Better to learn Indian if thats the case.

Did you all miss something? The article says MANDATORY Arabic classes. There is NOTHING good about this. Taken as an elective, no problem. But the minute that any of our schools starts SHOVING another language down our children's throats, we should all have major concerns over this!! I was stunned when I heard this news report this morning.

Originally Posted by TexasBorn

Did you all miss something? The article says MANDATORY Arabic classes. There is NOTHING good about this. Taken as an elective, no problem. But the minute that any of our schools starts SHOVING another language down our children's throats, we should all have major concerns over this!! I was stunned when I heard this news report this morning.

Exactly my point, I'm against making it manatory to teach any language
other than English and I doubt very seriously they're gonna teach Arabic
without teaching a little culture and you can't teach the culture without
teaching Islam. There's something sinister afoot here And I'm sure all
the school sees is that 1.3 million dollar grant.

Def

From the Mansfield ISD website:

[quote]Communications :: Press Release
Arabic Language Studies Statement

[February 8, 2011]

Mansfield ISD was recently awarded a Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grant focused on the Arabic language from the Department of Education. The District applied for this grant because the Arabic language is listed by the federal government as a critical language. This means that our country has a shortage of Arabic speakers and there is a need for people who are not only proficient in the Arabic language, but also possess knowledge about its cultures and traditions.

Recent concerns have been raised by parents concerning plans for the curriculum. We are working with parents and staff for the language curriculum development.

Mansfield ISD has slowed the process of implementation to get parent input for curriculum creation.

[b]There are no “mandatory Arabic classesâ€

Arabic should NOT be taught at the pre-college level. There is absolutely no reason for it. I am certain that the ONLY reason that this is being attempted at Mansfield is that certain grant money is at stake. Given the budget shortfalls across the board it there is something insidious about a conditional grant given for "Arabic" studies. I smell Obama in this and it stinks to high heaven!!

[quote="TexasBorn"]Given the budget shortfalls across the board it there is something insidious about a conditional grant given for "Arabic" studies. I smell Obama in this and it stinks to high heaven!![/quote]

Agree! I have thought for a long time, and still do, that Obama is a Muslim at heart. This man is a liar and a sneak. I do not trust anything he says - quite to the contrary... I worry every time he opens his mouth!

Originally Posted by forest

Originally Posted by TexasBorn

Given the budget shortfalls across the board it there is something insidious about a conditional grant given for "Arabic" studies. I smell Obama in this and it stinks to high heaven!![/quote]

Agree! I have thought for a long time, and still do, that Obama is a Muslim at heart. This man is a liar and a sneak. I do not trust anything he says - quite to the contrary... I worry every time he opens his mouth!

forest, could any of us have imagined even 3 years ago that our government would be pushing Arabic studies in our schools?! Make no doubt about it where Obama's allegiance lies.