No English allowed: Inside Honolulu’s bold new classrooms

Story by Sandy Harjo Livingston

HONOLULU (KHON2) — In classrooms across Honolulu, bilingual education is reshaping how students learn, connect and see the world.

At Kamehameha Schools, Maryknoll School and St. Louis School, language is more than a subject. It’s a tool for global citizenship and cultural understanding.

Mandarin immersion takes root at Maryknoll

Maryknoll School launched its Mandarin immersion program nine years ago. For Shana Tong, president of Maryknoll, it was a natural extension of the school’s global mission.

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“Our first class, the current 8th grade, started in kindergarten,” Tong said. “You spend 50% of your day in only Mandarin. They don’t even know their teacher speaks English.”

The program follows a 50/50 model in the early grades. Students learn core subjects like math and science in Mandarin, then switch to English for literacy and religion.

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