Upper Manhattan public elementary school becomes the first to mandate Arabic as a foreign language - NYPOST.com (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/arabic_mandatory_at_city_public_UdLomjOOnZNfjDfs6YQrUN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan)

An upper Manhattan public elementary school will be the first in the city to require that students study Arabic, officials said yesterday.

Beginning next semester, all 200 second- through fifth-graders at PS 368 in Hamilton Heights will be taught the language twice a week for 45 minutes — putting it on equal footing with science and music courses.

One reason Principal Nicky Kram Rosen selected Arabic — as opposed to more common offerings, such as Spanish or French — is because it will help the school obtain a prestigious International Baccalaureate standing.

Upper Manhattan public elementary school becomes the first to mandate Arabic as a foreign language - NYPOST.com (http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/arabic_mandatory_at_city_public_UdLomjOOnZNfjDfs6YQrUN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan)

An upper Manhattan public elementary school will be the first in the city to require that students study Arabic, officials said yesterday.

Beginning next semester, all 200 second- through fifth-graders at PS 368 in Hamilton Heights will be taught the language twice a week for 45 minutes — putting it on equal footing with science and music courses.

One reason Principal Nicky Kram Rosen selected Arabic — as opposed to more common offerings, such as Spanish or French — is because it will help the school obtain a prestigious International Baccalaureate standing.
I wish I would have had something like this in elementary school, I probably would have selected a different language, but I like the idea.

☪...

I wish I would have had something like this in elementary school, I probably would have selected a different language, but I like the idea.

I agree. while the teaching of Arabic is a hot button issue, the teaching of any language at that age is much more beneficial that the current norm of waiting until middle/ high school

Spanish would be more useful.

One of the charter schools where I used to live offered Arabic. I don't think it should be mandatory at all at any school (yes, Spanish would be more useful here), but students who would decide to take it will probably have a money-making opportunity in the future if they couple it with other disciplines. I've considered taking Arabic or Farsi myself now.

Spanish would be more useful.

Especially for jobs in Law Enforcement :coffee:

Spanish would be more useful.

Chinese. (Mandarin?)

Principal Nicky Kram Rosen
Interesting.

Interesting.

Know thine enemy.