The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1922-07-25
FOREIGN LANGUAGE SCHOOLS

Attempts to bride examiners in the tests for basic licenses to
teach in foreign language schools will have a tendency to add further
to the sentiment for elimination of such institutions. 1t is
true that of all those who took the examination only
two, so far as known, were so fool hardy as to attempt to resort to
corrupt practices but the public ever pays more attention to the 60
ing astray of one person than to the fact that a thousand toll along
the path of rectitude. If a minister of gospel OF a pillar or a church
goes wrong there is much to do made of it and the fact that over
whelminging majority go straight receives no comment. So all foreign
language school teachers will share to a greater or less extent the
smirching that comes with the befouling of their profession by would
be bride givers.
AS a matter of fact the foreign language school teachers are
probably no better and no worse than men of their nationaities in
other walks of life. The offenders in Honolulu either have not grasped
American ideals or they are "too sophisticated" according to an
optimistic or pessimistic point of view. Attempted bribery, bride
giving and bride taking, are, most unfortunately, ofenses from which
the American social system is by no means free but an American
would know better than to attempt to corrupt school heads o II school
teachers. 1t is Grass ignorance that the two foreigners showed.
However, the point that stands out clearly is that opponents OF
foreign language schools will use the incidents told of in the news
from Honolulu further to strengthen their already strong arguments
Recently a strong effort was made to insert an outspoken statement
on the subject in the Republican platform. The issue was not settled
but was compromised by the last Legislature. 1t may be expected to
come up again at the next legislative session.
From the outset of the agitation against foreign language schools
there has been one and only one basic solution of the difficulty and
there is a steadily growing recognition of the futility of other means
to check the evils that are complained of. The solution is the introduce
ton of an optional course in japanese in the government public
schools with American born and American trained japanese as the
teachers. If it is good for the children of japanese to know that Ian
guage then children of American parentage and American born child
rem of parents of other nationaHties should be accorded the same add
vantage. From the geographical location of these islands and from
the large proportion of Japanese resident here, the Japanese language
will long be commercially important to residents of the islands. On
the face of the proposal it would seem to entail a considerable expense
but such expenditure would be in the nature of a saving in the end.
1t might even be possible to attach a very small tuition fee for
those who desire such optional course which would make it in part
even if not entirely self sustaining. Under such a plan the department
of public instruction would know exactly what was being taught to
the pupils and there could no longer be charged that instruction in the
japanese tongue had a tendency to delay Americanization and retard
the assimilation of the Nipponese in Hawaii.