Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 3, 1 March 1992 — Taking another step toward Hawaiian language immersion [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Taking another step toward Hawaiian language immersion

By Moses K. Keale Sr. Trustee, Kaua'i & Ni'ihau

For Hawaiians, success is measured in inches rather than in feet, yards or miles. It has been a slow and often times frustrating process, but when success comes the rewards are worth the . effort.

A few months ago, we entered into a friendly relationship with the Board of Education. The first of what should be many positive stories has begun to develop. During the first week of February, the BOE adopted a policy that will allow public school students to be taught in the native tongue of these islands. We applaud the BOE for their bold statement in support of Hawaiian language! This is a major step in achieving a full K-12 Hawaiian language immersion school. The final chapters in this long road to establishing a full fledged Hawaiian language immersion school has yet to be written, but this milestone is another "ineh" in the right direction. This story is a testament to patience and cooperation. Our beneficiaries eame to ask our help and we responded immediately, working in concert with your Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Kupuna, Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate and the teachers and parents of those students in the immersion programs throughout the state, we were able to bring a committed eoop-

erative spirit to the Board of Education and the Department of Education. We will eonhnue to meet in this spirit to further the goals of this worthy program. We will assist the BOE in its efforts to lobby for funds and to encourage the timely expansion of this program. We stand ready to assist the parents where we ean be of assistance and to help and encourage the teachers as they progress through the various phases of expansion. Although education is the primary responsibility of the Department of Education, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs stands ready to do its part in laying the foundation for our youngsters. It is in the same spirit of cooperation that we seek an allianee with the University of Hawai'i, Board of Regents. You have continued to express an interest in obtaining tuition waivers from the University and we have introduced measures in the legislature to address that request. There are nine bills in this year's legislature that provide for some kind of expansion of the tuition waiver system. With Hawaiians so noticeably under-represented in our University system, tuition waivers will go a long way to assuring that every Hawaiian who desires University education will be able to afford one. OHA favors a bill combining the ideas of several legislators including OHA's own board of trustees. In the past there has been mueh disagreement on the cost and value of such a program. lt has been this disagreement that has delayed the implementation of previous programs. The time has eome to end the studies and to dispel

the reasons for not providing special tuition waivers for Hawaiians. The University of Hawaii occupies thousands of acres of lands for whieh no lease rent is paid. As stated in my article last month "this amounts to a $4,274,000 annual lease subsidy of the University system by the native Hawaiian" covering 1,879.38 acres of land from the Public Land Trust. Payment is due to the Hawaiians now! What better way for the State to reaffirm their commitment to the Hawaiian people. Let them become partners with us in promoting higher education among our very special people, the Hawaiian young men and women upon whieh we continue to establish our foundation and legacy. A i manao kekahi e lilo i pookele i waena o oukou, e pono no e lilo ia i kauwa na oukou. Na ke Akua e malama a e alakai ia kakou apau.