Preserving Hawaiian — one class at a time
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Ke Kula 'O Nawahiokalani-'opu'u Iki as part of the 20th anniversary of Hawaiian
language immersion schools. Hawaiian is "the only indigenous language in the
United States that is an official state
language.""Portraits in the school's
library are not of U.S. presidents but Hawaiian royalty, from King Kamehameha to
Princess Ka'iulani.""Although about half
the students are from low-income families, the school boasts a perfect
graduation rate, with 80 percent moving on to college, well above the statewide
average for public schools.""Critics say
students could be held back by learning a language that's not "viable" in
today's world. But school officials say Nawahi students have exceeded peers in
standardized English tests. Studies also have suggested that highly bilingual
students tend to have higher cognitive
abilities."Update:
Versions of this AP article were syndicated by
other papers, for
example the Hartford
Courant.
Posted: Sun - April 15, 2007 at 09:57 AM