Should Schools Stop Requiring Foreign Language Classes?

Hoping to free up more options for students when it comes to high school electives, the House Education Committee approved two bills in Lansing last week that would eliminate the foreign language requirement for graduation.

Royal Oak Schools require a level 2 proficiency level in a language other than English for graduation, Superintendent Shawn Lewis-Lakin said.

"The requirement is proficiency based rather than years in a classroom seat based," Lewis-Lakin said. "Most of our students will attain this level of proficiency through a combination of coursework completed at both the middle and high school levels."

With the Middle Years I.B. program, the district has been implementing a system in which all students study a second language on an every other day basis in grades 6-10 and obtain the level two proficiency at the end of grade 10.   

The Royal Oak High School currently offers French, German, and Spanish.

By eliminating the two-year foreign language requirement, the proposal hopes to give students not headed to college more vocational options in school, but the Michigan Department of Education opposes the bill, according to the Detroit News.

"Students, regardless of post-secondary plans, will benefit tremendously with at least one additional language to be competitive in the global marketplace," spokesman Martin Ackley said in the report. "World languages is essential for all of our students."

House Bills 4465-4466 would also modify required credits in physical education, the arts, career and technical education, science and math, according to the Livingston Daily Press & Argus.

The bill awaits a full house vote.

"In our district mission statement we say that we are committed to creating 'a world class system for learning.' As a result, we are committed to providing all students with a basic level of proficiency in a second language," Lewis-Lakin said. "We are committed to this regardless of state requirements."    

The School Board, however, has not taken an official position regarding House Bills 4465-4466.   

"In general, our district is concerned about inconsistency in legislative mandates and in overreach by the legislature into matters best left to the control of locally elected school boards," Lewis-Lakin said. 

What do you think of the possible elimination of a foreign language requirement in Michigan schools?