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From: elna@netcom.com (Esperanto League N America)
Subject: Re: talk & travel
Message-ID: <elnaD402y9.4x@netcom.com>
Organization: Esperanto League for North America, Inc.
References: <elnaD3oBsD.IE7@netcom.com> <3hmv97$h6g@fido.asd.sgi.com> <3hnqn0$q1a@cosmos.imag.fr> <3hp376$7a3@fido.asd.sgi.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 17:22:57 GMT
Lines: 32
Sender: elna@netcom19.netcom.com

livesey@solntze.engr.sgi.com (Jon Livesey) writes in a recent posting (reference <3hp376$7a3@fido.asd.sgi.com>):
>In article <3hnqn0$q1a@cosmos.imag.fr>, Alain.Fagot@imag.fr (Alain FAGOT) writes:
>|> 	En France, la libert est trs restreinte.  Les deux langues
>|> proposes comme premires langues trangres sont l'allemand et l'anglais.
>|> Seulement, il n'y pas toujours assez de place dans les classes avec
>|> allemand premire langue alors les moins bons lves sont "redirigs" vers
>|> des classes d'anglais.  Je n'appelle pas cela un libre choix.
>
>This is very interesting, isn't it.   Now the argument has moved on
>from claiming that Esperanto ought to be the choice, even though people
>don't choose it, to arguing that the French don't have freedom of
>choice.
>
The underlying point is that people cannot choose what is not offered. If
Esperanto were among the subjects offered in schools, many would choose it.
Mr. Fagot states that more students elect German than the school system can
handle, so the "less good" students are redirected to English class. I agree
that this does not reflect freedom of choice.
I maintain that education should be given higher priority for dwindling 
resources-- that is, we should invest more strongly in education. In the
United States, the system is breaking down and is already nearly worthless.
This I say as informed opinion, for I am by profession a teacher.

Miko.


>Who elects French Governments, people from Mars?    Who pays for 
>French schools, people from Atlantis?
>
>jon.


