Little Rock, AK saw a revolution in education in 1957 with the racial integration of secondary education. In the same way that segregation hindered educational advancement, the divisions of bilingual schooling have much the same effect. Rodriguez is correct in his assertion that bilingual schools should not be implemented in order to strengthen family relations, prepare individuals for workplace success, and broaden world perspective.
Bilingual schooling diminishes meaningful family relations in multilanguage families.
Holidays are often viewed as a time to see family. Humans put a high value on family relationships. Families are, for many people, vital support systems. In traditional schooling, bilingual students are put into situations that put them out of their comfort zone on a daily basis. The unfamiliarity of the school environment every day makes students appreciate the relationships they have with their families, especially when their language is specific to their home. Although holding multiple meaningful relationships is possible, valuing the importance of each becomes increasingly difficult. Take, for example, participation trophies. When just a few contestants or athletes receive an award, it becomes a prized possession. Compare a participation ribbon with an honored award such as the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize is prestigious due to its rarity. Along the same lines, if all relationships matched the intimacy of children and their guardians, the value of these family connections would diminish. Therefore, the formality of traditional schooling teaches students to appreciate and maintain their family relationships at the same time as it prepares students for later workplace success.
Traditional schooling better prepares the individual for workplace success. In many professions, a formal relationship with one’s superiors is vital to success. In the military, ranks are put in place to build efficiency and to reduce error in lifethreatening situations. Operating as one unit and obeying one’s superiors is necessary to streamline communications and
ensure safety. In most workplaces, employees are required to follow a similar hierarchical structure. Traditional schooling additionally prepares individuals to adapt and learn new skills.
Englishsecondlanguage students are forced to learn to assimilate themselves while keeping their old culture. This learned assimilation teaches valuable lessons that can later be applied when starting at