HONOLULU The state Supreme Court has ruled Hawaiis constitution requires reasonable access to Hawaiian language immersion programs.
HONOLULU —The state Supreme Court has ruled Hawaii’s constitution requires reasonable access to Hawaiian language immersion programs.
Hawaii News Now reported Tuesday that the justices ruled the programs are a necessary component in restoring the Hawaiian language and ultimately the culture.
The case brought by the parent of two schoolchildren on Lanai says the island’s only public school did not offer a Hawaiian language immersion program.
The court ruled 3-to-2 that access to a Hawaiian language class only a few times per week was not sufficient.
The ruling says steps must be taken to build an immersion program.
In a written dissent, Justice Paula Nakayama says the state should provide “as many students as possible” with access to immersion programs, but disagrees the state constitution requires it.
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Information from: KGMB-TV, http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/
