But our national needs are still the same: skilled people to fill skilled jobs. H.R. 11. the 1984 education amendments. is a key element in our Nations ability to compete in the presentday battle to keep from becoming a second class power. H.R. 11 extends the lives of 11 educational programs. from bilingual education to emergency immigration education assistance. from womens educational equity to Indian education. from asbestos school hazard detection and control to the national assessment of educational progress and adult education. July 25. 1.98.$ Two of these programs. in my mind. rank foremost in importance: Bilingual education and adult education. Last year. some 216.000 childrenof the estimated 1 to 3 million eligible for bilingual educationreceived instruction in some 80 different languages. There are those who argue against bilingual education programs. suggesting that earlier immigrants didnt receive this special training and adjusted quite well. To these critics. I say that those were different times: Life was simpler. work was simpler. it was easier to find a niche in society even if you didnt have a complete command of the English language or American customs. Today. as we all know. life is much more complex. We are a mobile society. The new immigrants to our shores find it more difficult to adjust to American life. and America needs this human resource more quickly because we. as a nation. are in a war for survival. The new technology requires minds that can adapt. To quote President Kennedy once more: When the youngest child alive today has grown to manhood. our position in the world will be determined first of all by what provisions we make todayfor his education. his health. and his opportunities for a good home and a good Job and a good life.
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immigration immigrants