Inos hopes to open bilingual school

Commissioner of Education Rita H. Inos considers the opening of a magnet school that specializes on the local identity as one major venue to champion the use of the indigenous language in the CNMI.

She said the Public School System tries to incorporate the local culture and language in its curriculum but it is limited since it competes with other academic requirements. Not all private schools in the CNMI also offer bilingual classes.

“It doesn’t have that kind of far reaching effect and perhaps a magnet school is one that we should look at,” she said in an interview.

According to Inos, this is the type of school where parents would choose to send their children because of its “cultural” emphasis, incorporating the bilingual language to the academics.

“That’s always a discussion among the local advocates (founding this type of center in the CNMI),” she added.

Inos shared this plan in the wake of a major Chamorro and Carolinian gathering on Saipan this weekend.

Sponsored by the Pacific Islands Bilingual Bicultural Association (PIBBA) of the NMI Chapter, this half-day gathering at the Carolinian Utt will offer avenues to support the cultural learning inside the classroom. The affair is expected to gather both students and teachers.

“This organization is supporting PSS in terms of having opportunities for teachers to learn more about the culture through story telling since elders will be invited to participate as facilitators,” Inos said.

Local crafts making and cooking of favorite delicacies are also part of the lined-up activities.

The CNMI is a founding member of PIBBA when it started in 1977 and is known for its efforts to promote the culture by conducting training for teachers and parents.