Chinese language education persists in U.S.: report

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Parents in several U.S. states prefer sending kids to schools where classes are taught entirely in Mandarin Chinese, according to a recent report by the South China Morning Post.

As of now, the so-called Mandarin immersion programs can be found in 32 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. And those that are publicly funded are spread across 31 states, the Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper said.

As for why moms and dads are eager to enroll their kids in those programs -- offered in elementary, middle and high schools and totalling 407 as of December, the newspaper said it is the desire for children to get a global perspective and life opportunities that has been driving the demand.

"My reasons are simple: take advantage of a unique opportunity to have our kids be more open-minded," the newspaper quoted Sam White as saying.

White's kids are students at Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School, which offers a Mandarin immersion program for kids from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade.

The Mandarin immersion programs flourished during the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama. Although the trajectory of the bilateral relationship went downward during the subsequent administrations, demand for Chinese learning opportunities continued to prove strong, said the report.

Of the some 340 publicly funded immersion programs in existence now, about a third were founded in the post-Obama era, the report said, adding that "in some school districts facing cutbacks, parents have fought passionately to retain the programs."

As far as location is concerned, the report said Mandarin immersion programs are flourishing in Washington on the East Coast and in the western state of Utah.

While aware of the high-level political tensions between the two countries, parents still regard learning Mandarin as exceptionally good at instilling academic discipline in their children, according to Elizabeth Weise, California-based founder of the Mandarin Immersion Parents Council who was interviewed by the newspaper.

"Parents are not politicians," Weise was quoted as saying. "They just want their kid to have a good education and have as many opportunities as they can."