Bilingual Education in United State History - Essay Example

The influx of persons in the United States contributed a lot in shaping the policies that determined the Bilingual Education policy. The country witnessed many groups of people into the country like the natives, immigrants, and displaced people as a result of the World Wars amongst others. In this context, therefore, there was a dire need to lay procedures in place that would incorporate all these persons in the policies that surround Bilingual Education. In the colonial phase, the Bilingual Education schools, established before 1800, were not public and were mainly parochial schools.

At this time, a great number of immigrants from Germany and France made a great initiative to come up with the Bilingual schools. Studies indicate that in these schools, English was taught amongst other subjects. Teipelke (p.1) indicates that these schools cannot be termed as bilingual schools, and probably non English schools would be a suitable name. In the mid 1850s, a mandate was passed by the California Instruction Bureau that all schools should teach all subjects in English. By the 1870s, attempts to advance English in the country were seen.

For instance, in St. Louis district, the school inspector, Mr. Harris, was gave the mandate to all teachers to start teaching English in kindergartens that incorporated German as the mode of instruction. In the late 1890s, the number of schools that used German as the mode of instruction recorded a downward trend. With this trend taking root in the United States, studies indicate that by the early 1900, there were numerous arguments that a good number of German immigrants needed to maintain their origins.

The numbers of immigrants in the country were escalating; thus, a good number of individuals enrolled their children in German schools to acquire education in the German language. At this time, the United States had strengthened its muscle into joining the World War. Conflicts were evident among various countries. In relation to Bilingual Education, key personalities of German origin needed complete abolition of German–English schools. In 1923, the State of Nebraska, following a court ruling, made a ruling that all schools in the state must use English as the only medium of instruction.

All foreign languages were banned, and if needed to be taught, it had to be done after the 8th grade. English was made the first language of all persons in Nebraska, on the virtue that useful citizens can only be made through English. English was also made compulsory upon the basis that they would become good citizens and not jeopardize the state’s security. The period of 1927 was termed as the Farrington versus the Tokushige era. This era saw the upending of Hawaii’s restriction schools that taught foreign languages.

In this era, parents of Japanese origin gave their arguments that they have the right to ensure their children access education despite the impositions that may be placed by the government. Most of the parents argued that they are better placed to determine the kind of education their children should achieve, as compared to the government’s restriction. However, this was not bound to stop the government’s move to establish Bilingual Schools in the country. In the 1940s, the country witnessed a great expansion of the English Second Language programs.

By 1963, the government had come up with Bilingual Educati