Mohinder Singh Malhotra, who has taught Punjabi for more than 14 years, said today: “Research has shown that if a child learns an additional language it raises their levels of achievement in school. If they do not know their own mother tongue they lose contact with their own identity.”
So all these kids were born outside the UK were they Mohinder?
If not they were born here so English is their MOTHER tongue and that is their identity or can’t you accept that?
To all Asians Poles or other races, if you don’t want to be English do what I did and get out. Nobody is forcing you to stop.

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There has been a Jewish community in Britain for hundreds of years now. I’m not aware of them ever expecting the state to pay for Hebrew lessons for their children. And despite some of most ferocious persecution endured by any exiled people neither have they ever lost “contact with their own identity”.

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Where do I sign the petition in favour of charges for these lessons? The council is strapped for cash as it is.

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And I’ve have walked out! If no one else will say it out there I will! I am sick to the back teeth of people various playing the ‘racist card’ to TRY and get thier own way! Its as old as the bloody hills – change the record i’m sick of listening to it!

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Why should I pay for someone to learn a foreign language out of my tax’s. If they want to learn another language,they should pay for it. If I lived in a country that was not the country of my parents culture or birth,then I would embrace that language and culture. I have several Asian friends with chidren,none of whom can speak Punjabi.

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he says that “Mohinder Singh Malhotra, who has taught Punjabi for more than 14 years, said today: “Research has shown that if a child learns an additional language it raises their levels of achievement in school. If they do not know their own mother tongue they lose contact with their own identity.”

if the child is born in england shouldnt it be first talk english as its mouther tongue andhavethere own identity thats why people move to difrent parts of the world for to make new changes and NEW IDENTITYS loads of money been wasted where the city carnt even afford a bonfire for local areas come off it please spend more on social intergration more on localcomunity centre not just one one part of the comunity

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I wouldn’t move to a foreign country and expect to have funded language lessons. Have some self respect, and respect for this country and learn the language in your own time and not out of our pockets. I’m all for multiculturalism and intergration but why does it always seem to be at the expense of the taxpayer?

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Hmm being Asian myself i would have loved to go to Asian lessons to learn the language i regret it now! yes this is my religion and i am always going to stick to it all he was trying to point out was they want the kids to carry on the tradition and talk Punjabi as most people in Asian families talk Punjabi so what is the problem?
Yes we are in England should learn English aren’t they at school learning it i think so!
So nobody is allowed to talk up spanish or french lessons as another language are they and as you can see by the 700 children in the city learning it i think that shows how popular it is no harm in learning a new language.

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I’d like free French lessons please.

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Comment to number 16, Alyssa, The argument isn’t about whether or not thet should learn another language it is whether or not they should pay for it, get your facts right. If a child wanted to learn French or Spanish or another language or wanted to learn a sport after school they would have to pay so why should people learning Punjabi get it for free, if anything the race cards is being played on the non asians yet again. Why is everyone so scared to put their foot down with them. The council are cutting the funding for the elderly all the time and putting the care costs up by ridiculous amount each year (I think my 91 year old Aunts care that she has to pay for has gone up from about £125 to £212 PER WEEK which is around 70%. This is where the council should be using any funding they have NOT on free language lessons, its disgraceful.

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