While the Minorities Bill is clearly well-intentioned, I believe it has its emphasis in the wrong place. The "militancy of races and minorities within the German Republic" has not generally been limited to the foreign cultures around our borders; on the contrary, the majority of the uprisings have been "German" minority-cultures, seeking independence from the Bavarian monoculture enforced across Germania.
Indeed, I believe the bilingual education of Polish and English would actively harm the integration of such peoples within the Republic. Do we truly want these people to identify foremost with Britain and Poland? Why on Earth would we spend taxpayers' Thalers on actively making such people more British or more Polish? Do we truly believe that this will make them *less* likely to rise up in support of their comrades over the border?
Indeed, the tuition of English in Cornwall seems particularly ill-advised, considering that the present population of Cornwall does not have a majority English-speaking population anyway.
(( By the way, Avindian, what cultures do we actually have in Cornwall? Looking at the map on page 191, it doesn't look English or Scottish, but it doesn't look German either. Is that Breton? ))
Furthermore, I find the proposed bilingualism for our border regions - such as Cornwall and West Prussia - to be logistically inadvisable, even if it were not actively against this country's interests. Creating a curriculum in one language is by no means a trivial task; creating a curriculum multilingually, for several languages, only really makes sense if each language covers a large group of people.
(And finally, as an aside, I note the repeated references to the "Federal Government". Such a thing does not exist. Nor should it, if we want this country's government to be actually able to govern.)
Nevertheless, I believe there is much good in the Minorities Bill, if it were only refined somewhat. With all this in mind, I propose an alternative bill.
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Recognising that the Labels "German" and "Italian" cover a Multitude of Regional Languages, and thus recognising the Arbitrary Nature of the Present German/Italian Cultural Categories,
Noting the Success of the Public School Movement in raising Literacy and Educational Standards within the Republic,
and Seeking to Uphold the Democratic Nature of the Republic of Germany, in the Interests of all her Citizens,
the following bill is to be made to the Reichstag:
The Cultural Education and Discrimination Bill
Section A
Any acts of Discrimination by the Government or Civil Service on the basis of Race, in which citizens of the Republic are denied benefits or opportunities given to other citizens, are to be condemned and outlawed.
Enforcement is to fall within the newly created Committee of Racial Affairs. This Committee will fall under the Ministry of the Interior, and will work in cooperation with the Corps of Gendarmerie to all investigate discriminatory institutions within the Government.
The Committee will also advise the Government on legislative and executive matters pertaining to race, as well as advise the Ministry with policy pertaining to race relations. (( Same Policy mechanic as the Minorities Bill. ))
Section B
The Public, or Free school system is to be greatly expanded, and transformed into new "Common Schools". These schools will no longer be run primarily for those unable to afford private education, but are to be made available for all children regardless of social class, gender, ethnicity or country of origin.
(( "Common Schools" reform passed. ))
Section C
All schools are to be taught "Standard German" (or "Bavarian German").
Bilingual curricula are to be written for the following dialects / languages, to be taught alongside Standard German in regions where that language holds a majority:
- Austrian
- Dutch
- Flemish
- Hannoverian
- Hessian
- Lombard
- Pommeranian
- Prussian
- Rheinlander
- Saxon
[[EDIT]] - Sicilian
- Umbrian
Furthermore, advanced students are to be given the opportunity to study the following foreign languages:
- Castillian
- French
- Greek
- Polish
- Scots