I don’t understand this

Federal complaint spurs change for non-English speakers in Oakland schools

OAKLAND — A Vietnamese-speaking parent whose high school-age son was suspended, expelled and denied evaluation for special education because his school didn’t provide adequate interpretation or translation services has won new rules requiring the services as part of a civil-rights complaint brought in 2009.

Without any debate or discussion, the school board last month approved a sweeping new written policy assuring translation and interpretation services for those who don’t understand English.

The new policy comes four years after the school district signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to resolve the problem. As part of the agreement, the district was supposed to have the new policy ready by Nov. 1, 2009.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_24421219/federal-complaint-spurs-change-non-english-speakers-oakland

I don’t understand this. It appears that they are saying that it is a right for a non-English speaking parent and child who emmigrated to the USA (legally?) to have a school pay for translation services for them. Why?

How many languages exist on planet Earth? Is it a civil right that any person who speaks any language to have a translator availble, all-expenses-paid by the state, because they do not speak English?

Why isn’t there a requirement that if someone comes to an English-speaking country that they are responsible to learn English? However they can meet that end is their own prerogative. If they have to pay for their own private instruction so be it.

Why do taxpayers have to pay for it? Is this an actual civil “right”?

The civil rights complaint was brought by the parent in 2008 who tried to get help for his son who was failing academically and was eventually expelled for bad behavior from his school partly because neither the parent nor the son understood enough English to get help, the investigation found.

About a third of the Oakland Unified School District’s 36,000 students are English learners.

Holy fucking shit!