http://www.wiscnews.com/bdc/news/lifestyles/135220
CHINESE CLASSES A GROWING TREND
About 130 students have signed up so far to attend the Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language, part of a growing number of schools offering Chinese language classes nationwide. It will teach 4-year-old kindergarten through fifth grade the Mandarin language, symbols and culture for 30 to 45 minutes a day, along with traditional curriculum in English.
There are at least nine other public and private Chinese programs in Wisconsin, along with at least three private schools that teach it on the weekends.
Yu-Lan Lin, executive director of Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools, estimated that about 350 schools in the nation offer Chinese classes.
James Sayavong, who started the Milwaukee school, expects nearly 200 students to enroll by fall. So far the school's students are mostly from the surrounding neighborhood, which is generally black and low income.
"Why don't we give these kids opportunity?" he said. "(In) many big cities in other areas in the country only (the) rich (are) building the Chinese school for the kids."
He said he wanted Milwaukee children to learn about one of America's largest trading partners, giving them an edge later in their careers.
Is this a good thing, or some kind of global indoctrination thing? Anything to it?
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I would prefer a program that did the same thing, but in Japanese.