The Karen Language Will Be Taught in St. Paul Schools

In a first for St. Paul Public Schools, the Karen language—which has been banned in Myanmar for over 6 decades—will be taught in classrooms during the new school year.

Four SPPS high schools will offer Karen language courses and there will be online options as well.

According to the Karen Organization of Minnesota, the state is home more than 20,000 Karen people. Minnesota’s Karen community is the largest in the country, and more than 17,000 of the state’s 20,000 Karen residents living in St. Paul.

The Karen community largely came to MN due to genocide following the Burmese Military Dictatorship.

St. Paul families have been asking for Karen language courses for many years.

#stpaul #mn #minnesota #karen #karenlanguage #myanmar #refugee #minneapolis #stpaulpublicschools #news #language #inclusion