On Dec. 25, I went to a local store to buy some candy. As I pondered to select a candy I noticed three kids next to me about the age of 10 or 11 looking at some toys. One kid picked up a toy and said to the other two kids, “mira … esta gooder.”
It didn’t take long for me to reflect on the education system of our community. They are not learning English and they are not learning Spanish.
This is what the educational philosophy of bilingual education has done to our community.
It has made them incompetent in both languages. The kids did not appear to be stupid. They did appear to be the product of the teachers and parents who are failing these kids.
I sincerely believe that our kids are worse off today than when I went to school. When I went to school speaking Spanish in school was prohibited. So we kind of went along with it. We didn’t know why. Today I know why.
Our vocabulary was corrected by the English teachers that taught us.
They had to because they understood very little Spanish. The issue of discrimination never came up. Today, I say they were right in what they did.
Today, the English teachers who are Hispanic do not correct the students when they say things incorrect. I have heard some teachers say, “a que … cute.” Then they wait for their paycheck.
They ignore to correct the students because a paycheck trumps fiduciary responsibility and fear from the administrators who make money of a lame adapted educational system.
So, today I will stop here because I can write a book about this issue while the rest of the country moves forward. For those who want to argue this point, The bar for the students being tested today in Texas has been lowered.
An “A” is fake. A “B” is fake. A “C” is fake.” And a “D” is passing with flying colors. All this is being helped by the acceptance of Bilingual education.
Santiago Perez San Benito
