CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Some City School Board members expressed uneasiness Monday night about a proposal to introduce Chinese language and culture studies to middle school students through the Confucius Institute offered through the University of Memphis.
Instead board members asked for a review about introducing a comprehensive foreign language program to middle school students.
School system Director Rick Denning pointed out the images of Confucius in the PowerPoint program by Riki Jackson from the institute.
A class on the Bible as literature with prominent images of Jesus would not be acceptable, he said.
“Are there issues of separation of church and state?” Dr. Denning asked.
Board member Steve Morgan noted the Confucius Institute is funded by the Chinese government.
“We are not teaching Confucianism,” Ms. Jackson said. “We are not religious, and we are not political.”
Ms. Jackson said most of the cost, including student trips to China, would be underwritten by the institute.
“I think the language element is great. We are open to that,” Mr. Morgan said.
But new state regulations require two foreign language credits, board member Bill Brown said, while Cleveland Middle School has no foreign languages at all. The middle school foundation for foreign languages already offered at Cleveland High School should be reviewed, too, he said.
That is what the school board voted to direct Dr. Denning and his staff to do.
Monday’s presentation was only for information about the program, Ms. Jackson said. She will be in Greeneville, Tenn., today to introduce the Confucius Institute there. She said she did not expect a vote Monday by the board.
Board member Dr. Murl Dirksen said it is ironic that the Chinese government suppressed Confucius images and beliefs but now is using them to introduce China to American students.
Chinese is the world’s third-largest language and should be studied by American students, Ms. Jackson said.
Dr. Dirksen, a frequent visitor to China, said “that image, however, is unfortunate.”
Confucius Institute
The Confucius Institute is a nonprofit, public institute with the goal of promoting Chinese language and culture and supporting local Chinese teaching internationally through affiliated Confucius Institutes around the globe. The University of Memphis is home to the only Confucius Institute in Tennessee.