STAFF EDIT: Arabic studies strike a chord

The Mansfield School District in Texas, according to its website, boasts the motto: “Respect, responsibility, effort, integrity, trustworthiness and honesty.” But its residents didn’t live up to that paradigm Monday when they gathered at an intermediate school to protest a recent announcement that in 2012, Arabic studies would be implemented into the curriculum for all schools.

The study program, financed by a $1.3 million Foreign Language Assistance Program federal grant, will require elementary and intermediate schools to teach Arabic culture and give middle and high schoolers the opportunity to take Arabic. Essentially, it’s an opportunity to for Mansfield students to set a revolutionary standard.

Some parents had predictable reactions. One argued that Christianity wasn’t taught in schools and so Islam shouldn’t be, either. Another scoffed at the idea that “Islam culture” could be taught without integrating religion at all. Although the events of Sept. 11 occurred more than 10 years ago, it’s become apparent that the average citizen – at least, when it comes to Mansfield, Texas – can’t separate underlying bigotry from reality.

Because of the overwhelmingly negative reaction, the school district issued a press release on Tuesday to set the record straight. The release assured readers that there will be no mandatory Arabic classes (“as being falsely reported in the media”) but defended the FLAP grant in light of the federal government listing Arabic as a critical language. Although the district administrators will indubitably face further obstacles, it’s important that they hold their ground for the time being. Attempting compromise is key when it comes to parents and their children as long as the program’s basic principles aren’t affected.

Maintaining balance between public and private spheres has been a struggle in the U.S. There’s a point at which negotiation comes at a cost, especially in the case of the students who could benefit from a more progressive education and enter the workforce with a highly coveted skill. The American school system should absorb parental criticism but push back against those who react reflexively without serious deliberation.