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Senate advances bill to jump-start Mandarin instruction in high schools; mixed views on effectiveness
Summary
Senators passed to third reading a bill to fund Mandarin Chinese instruction in Utah high schools via EdNet and concurrent enrollment; supporters framed it as an economic and cultural investment, while critics questioned curriculum mandates, cost and educational effectiveness.
Senators debated and advanced Senate Bill 57, sponsored by Senator Stevenson, which would create a program using EdNet and the University of Utah to provide Mandarin Chinese instruction to high school students and offer concurrent enrollment and college credit. Stevenson said the program is intended as a "jump start" where local schools lack qualified teachers; the bill carries a fiscal note just over $50,000 and seeks a federal grant currently applied for to cover the cost for three years.
Supporters including the sponsor and several colleagues argued the measure would position Utah students for economic ties with Mainland China and noted high local interest; Senator Steele and others described the cultural and technical benefits of remote-language instruction. Opponents questioned whether the legislature should mandate such curricular choices at the high-school level and whether limited state funds should be prioritized for Mandarin over broader foreign-language offerings. Senator Walker urged that Mandarin might be inappropriate for high schools without cultural immersion and worried about resource effectiveness.
Senate Bill 57 passed to the third-reading calendar on a recorded vote (20 ayes, 4 nays, 5 absent recorded on the floor). The bill includes a fiscal note and a contingent federal grant application; sponsors said a successful grant application would reduce or eliminate state spending, and supporters said passage could improve grant competitiveness.
