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Press Kit (pdf)January 5, 2006 White House Press Release Critical need foreign language skills are necessary to advance national security and global competitiveness.
More than 200 million children in China are studying English, a compulsory subject for all Chinese primary school students. By comparison, only about 24,000 of approximately 54 million elementary and secondary school children in the United States are studying Chinese.
October 13, 2006 White House Press Release $12.9 Million in Grants Awarded for Critical Foreign Language Instruction Arabic, Chinese, Russia, Hindi, Farsi Among Languages Targeted for Learning
November 29, 2006 NY Times: Non-Asians Show a Growing Interest in Chinese Courses
Take the private Chinese-American International School, five years ago, the school was 57 percent Asian-American, but this year it is only 49 percent Asian-American, said Sharline Chiang, its spokeswoman, adding that more non-Asian-Americans have been applying in recent years. Andrew Corcoran, the head of the school, said that in the last three to four years, applications from white and Indian-American families have more than doubled…Ms. Chiang also said that this was the first year in which the prekindergarten class had more white children, 36 percent, than Asian-Americans, 32 percent.
School officials attribute the changes largely to a growing awareness of China as a global economic force, and to a strong sense among parents that learning Chinese could help their children professionally
When Mandarin, the official language of China, was first offered in Chicago public schools in 1999, about 250 students enrolled, said Bob Davis, director of the Chicago school system’s Chinese Connections Program. Today, nearly 6,000 public school students, out of roughly 421,000, study Mandarin, he said, the majority black or Hispanic.
"I get calls every day from parents asking how they can get their students in the program, or how their local schools can offer such a program,” Mr. Davis said, pointing out that "the bulk of our students have no background or exposure to Chinese language and culture."
In Connecticut this year, about 3,000 students, most non-Asian, are studying Mandarin in about 16 public schools, said Mary Ann Hansen of the state’s Department of Education, a 10-fold increase from 300 students in 2004. Another half-dozen schools are considering offering Mandarin for the first time next fall, she said.
About half the teachers for the program come through a partnership with the Chinese government, Ms. Hansen added. Their salaries are paid by their own government, but school districts cover living expenses. "We don’t have enough Chinese teachers locally," she said.
Michael Patterson, a high school chemistry teacher, has four children - ages 6 to 13 - at the Chinese-American school here. He said the academic program attracted him, but he also noted that, "people say Chinese is going to be a pay-off."
Still, having children at this kind of school can be a challenge for a parent. "We can't help with homework," Mr. Patterson said.