Bilingual education a success in Mexico

Mexican schools once enforced a strict Spanish-only policy, much like the English-only rule being widely debated in the United States. Mexico eventually declared the policy a failure, saying it was creating generations of confused students and adding to poverty and discrimination.

Mexican educators say their experience could offer important lessons for the United States.

Today, about 1.2 million Mexican children attend bilingual classes. The federal government publishes textbooks in 55 of the country’s 63 languages and actively recruits teachers who are native speakers. Bilingual education is even guaranteed in the constitution. Find out more about bilingual education in Mexico in The Arizona Republic.