BUSTAMANTE BACKS BILINGUAL ED; ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SAYS SYSTEM NECESSARY IN EARLY GRADES.

Byline: Rick Orlov Daily News Staff Writer

Assembly Speaker Cruz Bustamante criticized a proposed initiative Thursday that would end bilingual education, saying the program helps children to make the switch to English.

``Bilingual education always has been controversial. But I think it is needed as a transition for kids in kindergarten, the first and second grades,'' Bustamante, D-Fresno, said at a news conference following a breakfast speech to Town Hall, Los Angeles, a public policy forum.

``Should we have it all the way through high school or have a separate track? No. But to help kids, like someone like me, learn English, it is important,'' he said.

Bustamante, the son of legal immigrants who spoke primarily Spanish in their home, said he was enriched by bilingual education in being able to learn basics while also learning English.

``Children have to learn English to be able to compete, not only in school, but in their jobs,'' Bustamante said. ``English is the language of finance.''

At the same time, he criticized the proposed ``English for the Children'' initiative being circulated by former Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron Unz.

``As they did with Proposition 187 and Proposition 209, Republicans want to use this as a `wedge issue' to divide us,'' Bustamante said. ``They keep talking about how they want to promote more diversity in the Republican Party with Latinos and others, and then they endorse a measure like this.

``When they talk about diversity, their recent convention had one in 10 delegates who were millionaires, not minorities.''

The state Republican Party, over the objections of its leadership, last month endorsed the initiative even though it has yet to qualify for the ballot.

The measure already has prompted controversy around the state, dividing many minority officials over whether an English immersion program would be a better way to teach children.

Unz, who had opposed Proposition 187, said he believes the measure will be attractive to voters from both parties and hopes to bring it before Democrats to try to win their endorsement.

``There has been a misconception of what this measure would do,'' Unz said, adding he hopes to qualify the measure for the June 1998 ballot to avoid partisanship over the issue. ``What this would do is take children who are not proficient in English and put them in sheltered immersion classes. Parents who want a bilingual education for their child will be able to sign a waiver and those programs would continue.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO Assembly Speaker Cruz Bustamante greets L.A. high school students Thursday.

Associated Press