Ogumoro wants to require PSS to teach Chamorro, Carolinian
Rep. Felicidad Ogumoro (R-Saipan) wants to mandate all public schools in the Commonwealth—elementary, junior, and senior high—to teach the Chamorro and Carolinian language, making the mastery of the language in written and in oral a prerequisite for students to graduate from such schools.
House Bill 19-143, which is set to be introduced formally this week, seeks to enact a law to highly recommend that students who are Chamorro or Carolinian be enrolled in their respective language class.
A student, who is neither a Chamorro nor Carolinian, may enroll in either language classes if he or she so chooses, the bill adds.
The bill tasks the CNMI Public School System to hire qualified or certified individuals to teach Chamorro or Carolinian in the elementary, junior, and senior high school levels, notwithstanding other requirements imposed by PSS for other teaching positions.
The Chamorro or Carolinian language must be used and spoken at all times in such classes, the bill adds.
“The influence of western civilization has made significant changes in the lifestyle of the Chamorros and Carolinians in the Commonwealth, particularly amongst the younger generations, many of whom today can hardly speak, write or understand their own Chamorro or Carolinian language,” Ogumoro’s bill states. “It is feared that sooner or later, the Chamorro or Carolinian languages will disappear.”
The bill says these languages directly links and holds indigenous people to their culture, heritage, and identify, and therefore, the Chamorro and Carolinian languages must be preserved.
The parents of the child should have the decision on if they want their child to be required to take language. If the parent truly wanted their child(ren) to know their language, they would have taught them as it is the parents responsibility to do so. Forcing students to learn these languages is illegal and there will be lawsuits.
While the intent is good the target in the perpetuation of the vernacular misses the point by oceans apart.
No personal contradiction other than your shallow quip ignoring that local kids speak English from morning to sunset. So how could Chamorro survive?
I think this is a great idea, because as a college student, this was a recurring concern that we used for many classes like English 101, Speech, and NMI History. I also think it’s great that that non-Chamorro and non-Carolinians are not required to take this subject. Personally, I think it’s disappointing that many kids today can’t speak their cultures’ language. I am Filipino, and I am fluent in Tagalog because it was the language my parent’s spoke at home. I don’t think parent’s realize how easy it is for their kids to learn English out of the home, so in the home, their cultural language should be spoken more often than English.
Why give the choice to non-chamorro/carolinians to take the class if they wish….ALL STUDENTS, public AND private school should be mandated to take it. And, when it IS implemented, just make sure it’s a good program, not another 1/2 thought out one like the existing ones now where the teachers mostly need to come up with their own materials to teach the classes…don’t require it without the support (financial, structural, educational and training)…or it’s going to fail…like many other programs that are just thrown out there with no sustainability or success plans.