STAND. COM. REP. NO. 261

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1288
                                     




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No.
1288 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE
     IMMERSION PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to finance the expansion of the
Hawaiian Language Immersion Program at Princess Nahienaena
Elementary School in Lahaina, Maui.

     Testimony in support of this bill was received from the
Native Hawaiian Education Council, the Office of Hawaiian
Affairs, the State Representative from the Seventh District, and
and seven other individuals.

     Your Committee finds that the culture of a people is
preserved in its language.  When a language is forgotten, a
culture is lost.  This bill seeks to help preserve the Hawaiian
culture through its language.

     The Hawaiian Language Immersion Program, Ka Papahana
Kaiapuni Hawaii, began in 1987, and today instruction in the
Hawaiian language is being offered in fourteen sites encompassing
grades kindergarten through eleven and enrolling 1,350 students
throughout the State.  The success of the program is
indisputable.  


 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 261
                                 Page 2

 
     In Lahaina a Hawaiian language immersion preschool will
"graduate" its first class in a few months.  Without an immersion
kindergarten in the area to attend, these Punana Leo O Lahaina
Hawaiian Language Immersion Preschool pupils will have little
choice but to attend kindergarten classes taught in English.
This bill seeks to expand the Hawaiian Language Immersion Program
to Lahaina so that these pupils may continue their education in
an Hawaiian language immersion class.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
1288 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred
to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Education,



                                   ______________________________
                                   KEN ITO, Chair