Ryan calls High School Language Requirement “burdensome” and pushes to remove it

State Rep. Rick Ryan, D-Evergreen Park, is seeking to remove the two-year foreign language requirement Illinois high school students must complete to receive a high school diploma.

“Schools are facing a shortage of qualified teachers who can teach foreign languages,” Ryan said.

“And that gap is only growing. Students should still be able to graduate even if their school is unable to secure an instructor for these subjects, which is why we’re working to have that requirement removed.”

Schools are struggling to find foreign language teachers for high school classes.

State Rep Rick Ryan 36th Illinois House District

The two-year foreign language requirement, which also includes American Sign Language, has been expressed by school principals as difficult to maintain.

House Bill 4334 would remove the two-year requirement.

The Illinois Association of School Administrators, Illinois Association of School Business Officials and the Illinois Association of School Boards all support the move.

“This change would also give schools a chance to be more flexible with their academic planning,” Ryan said.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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