The legislature shall provide for the training of teachers in the normal schools or otherwise so that they may become proficient in both the English and Spanish languages, to qualify them to teach Spanish-speaking pupils and students in the public schools and educational institutions of the state, and shall provide proper means and methods to facilitate the teaching of the English language and other branches of learning to such pupils and students.

ANNOTATIONS

Meaning of section. — This section does not require that all teachers in the state be proficient in both English and Spanish or that all teachers who teach Spanish-speaking pupils be proficient in both English and Spanish. The clear intent is to teach English to Spanish-speaking students and to assure that the Spanish and English languages will always be available to prospective teachers in the teachers' colleges and that Spanish-speaking pupils will be provided the means and methods to learn the English language as well as other subjects of learning. 1968 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 68-15.

This section is a mandate to the legislature to provide teachers proficient in both English and Spanish to teach Spanish-speaking pupils; it does not require all teachers to have this proficiency. 1971 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 71-102.

Law reviews. — For student symposium, "Constitutional Revision - Constitutional Amendment Process," see 9 Nat. Resources J. 422 (1969).

For comment, "Education and the Spanish-Speaking - An Attorney General's Opinion on Article XII, Section 8 of the New Mexico Constitution," see 3 N.M. L. Rev. 364 (1973).

For note, "Bilingual Education: Serna v. Portales Municipal Schools," see 5 N.M. L. Rev. 321 (1975).

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 68 Am. Jur. 2d Schools §§ 298, 299.

78 C.J.S. Schools and School Districts § 264; 78A C.J.S. Schools and School Districts §§ 782, 783.