SCR 196 Summary

• Requests the Department of Education to appoint a committee of key stakeholders (teachers, administrators, University of Hawaii representatives, Aha Kauleo, and community leaders) to develop a measurable plan for expanding Hawaiian language education in every school complex across Hawaii.

• Committee must identify current resources (teachers, materials, funding) available for Hawaiian language education and assess demand for Hawaiian language education across all stakeholder groups in each complex.

• Plan must address barriers to implementation, establish performance measures for effectiveness, identify potential partnerships, and develop a timeline for implementation while accounting for unique community perspectives on Hawaiian education approaches.

• Department of Education must report the completed plan to the Legislature no later than December 31, 2023.

• Acknowledges Hawaiian language as the native language of Hawaii's indigenous people for over 2,000 years and references its near-extinction following the 1896 English-only law (Act 57) that banned Hawaiian language instruction in public schools for 90 years.