you get something free does not mean it's a bargain

Mr. Neighbors said words to the effect on the radio that just because you get something free does not mean it's a bargain...

Confucius Institute has received some criticism from several political and academic circles. When the University of Sydney was negotiating with the institute, some critics feared that it would exert influence over academics on behalf of the Chinese government and preferred that it be separated from the Chinese studies department. For instance, "Jocelyn Chey, a visiting professor at Sydney and former diplomat, regards the Confucius institutes as a propaganda vehicle for the Chinese communist party, and not a counterpart to the Goethe Institute or Alliance Française." Some, but not all, universities have concerns about political motivations and academic freedoms. The University of Pennsylvania never applied to host an institute, and G. Cameron Hurst III, the former director of Penn's Center for East Asian Studies, said, "There was a general feeling that it was not an appropriate thing for us to do. We feel absolutely confident in the instructors that we train here, and we didn't want them meddling in our curriculum."

The Institute has also attracted concern from some foreign governments. Members of the Swedish Riksdag expressed concerns that the Institute provides a platform for the Chinese government. Subsequent to establishing a Confucius Institute at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, The Monitor (Montreal) revealed, "A newly declassified intelligence report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service says Beijing is out to win the world's hearts and minds, not just its economic markets, as a means of cementing power." India rejected the Chinese offer to establish institutes in Indian schools: "China's proposal is to expand its 'Confucius Institute' of language teaching into India. But the Indian government suspects that this is a Chinese design to spread its soft power – widening influence by using culture as a propagational tool."

Journalists have also faulted the calculated use of Confucius and the Confucius Institute. The Asia Times Online reported, "In short, in the early 21st century, Confucianism is an assistant to the Chinese god of wealth (and a representative of Chinese diplomacy) but not a tutor for Chinese souls." The Economist noted the irony of the Chinese Communist Party using Confucius to name the institute. "Mao vilified Confucius as a symbol of the backward conservatism of pre-communist China. Now the philosopher, who lived in the 6th century BC, has been recast as a promoter of peace and harmony: just the way President Hu Jintao wants to be seen. Li Changchun, a party boss, described the Confucius Institutes as “an important part of China’s overseas propaganda set-up”.

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Dr. T really believes all of us are just ignorant mountain people. Nobody knows what other arrangements he made with the Chinese government. That shoe hasn't dropped yet. The Chinese government doesn't do anything for free, and we are all smart enough figure their plot out. *why is he hell bent on mandarin Chinese?)

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Worldview aspirations are a great thing if we were graduating 99% of our students. We are not. Our dropout rate is absolutely horrible and getting worse. I am all for a world view. I have lived in Europe, and not just visited but lived there. I understand the need for a world view but what difference does a world view make to someone who has not graduated from High school and who has no hope of post secondary education? I'm realistic. We need to teach our children reading, writing and math, advanced math at that and get them graduated. Without the first step of graduation all other aspirations fall to the wayside. You don't build a house by building the roff first. Until we master the basics here and get students through high school all this world view emphasis is just a load of junk.

(vs. We all know that all students are not the same and are not on the same track...School curriculum should never be designed to keep everyone at the bottom levels. Our schools fail because of the low achievers holding back the brighter students.The future depends on having a work force that can compete on a world class level. Negative excuse makers want status quo or lower. Its killing our country and destroying the long term power of America)

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We have students who can not write a sentence

90 minutes a day for 5 days a week for 18 or 36 weeks going to teach anyone taking Chinese useful in their career?

Those who had foreign language in school: how much do you remember?

Do you understand the Chinese view of America? (google "Chinese and US power grid")