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School
admission policy not racial discrimination
Jamie
Rowe
In
a 2-1 decision, the 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled
that the admission policy at the Kamehameha
Schools in Hawaii is unlawful racial
discrimination, according to an Associated
Press article published Tuesday.
The school system, educating students from preschool through 12th grade, has
a campus on O’ahu, Maui and Hawai’i, with preschools across all
five islands and an extension program throughout the state’s education
system.
Bernice Pauahi Bishop, great granddaughter of Kamehameha the Great, founded
the schools in hopes of giving native Hawaiians a leg up after the monarchy
was overthrown, according to the AP article.
While there is no specific wording in her will stating only native Hawaiian
students should be able to attend, according to the school’s Web site,
Bishop gave discretion to a board of trustees to decide the admission policies
of the school.
The board grants admission to non-native Hawaiians after all eligible native
Hawaiians have been offered a spot.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals seems to have missed this important fact.
Nowhere does the policy say only native Hawaiian students can attend the schools.
Also, the schools are privately funded, partly from a trust fund now worth
$6.2 billion, according to the AP article. The schools do not receive any federal
aid.
Based on this fact, the federal government should not regulate who can or cannot
be admitted to this institution. Bishop set up the school with her will so
that her vision of an improved Hawaiian society could come to fruition.
Also, the school’s policy is no different than the affirmative action
programs in place at numerous universities and colleges across the United States
that give minority students a leg up against white students.
While it may seem like a form of racial discrimination, the schools are attempting
to better members of the Hawaiian society who might not otherwise be given
the opportunity. Admission to the schools is incredibly sought after because
students receive an excellent education at a pretty cheap price.
Unlike most affirmative action programs, the Kamehameha schools are attempting
to better students at a younger age, starting at the preschool level, which
will increase their chances of attending higher education institutions without
the help of the federal government’s regulation of who can gain admission
to a university or college based on race.
While racial discrimination, such as in instances where people have been denied
employment or housing, is a terrible thing, these Hawaiian schools are offering
a chance for students who may not otherwise be able to get a good education.
The board of trustees should be commended for their efforts and Bishop would
be glad to see what her vision has become.
Jamie Rowe is a senior journalism major and the editor in chief of the
Daily Forty-Niner. |
