Jim Banks urges Cardona to probe Chinese influence in K-12 schools.
Rep. Jim Banks Calls for Investigation into Chinese Communist Party’s Influence on K-12 Schools
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) has urged Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to order a Department of Education investigation into the Chinese Communist Party’s influence on the nation’s K-12 schools. This comes after a new report from the parent activist group Parents Defending Education revealed the flow of money from the Chinese government into the education infrastructure.
“I write to convey my concerns about a report published this week by Parents Defending Education, which describes millions of dollars flowing from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) into America’s K-12 schools,” Banks wrote in his letter. “Evidence included in the report shows contracts coordinated between PRC governmental [organizations] and U.S. schools, involving Confucius Institutes (CIs) and other PRC-controlled entities designed to enhance Beijing’s soft power.”
The report, titled “Little Red Classrooms,” highlights that 143 school districts have or had partnerships with Confucius Institutes to provide “Confucius Classrooms” programming at the K-12 level. Confucius Institutes, Chinese-funded institutes at U.S. universities, have faced increased scrutiny due to concerns that they are being used to push propaganda efforts on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
Under the Trump administration, the Department of Education launched investigations into foreign influence in higher education, leading to the closure of several institutes. Banks emphasized the need to ensure that K-12 schools are not being funded by America’s greatest foreign adversary.
“For decades, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has worked to exert influence over America’s education system, an effort that Xi Jinping has dramatically amplified,” Banks wrote. “By instituting CIs, Confucius Classrooms, and similar partnerships — which American school districts often mistake as benign affiliations and grants — Beijing has been able to establish ties with U.S. schools all across the country.”
Banks, who is running for a Senate seat in Indiana, called on the Department of Education to conduct an audit to determine the extent of funding from ”hostile adversaries” in K-12 schools. He also urged the department to analyze the access foreign governments have gained to the nation’s schools and implement solutions to halt foreign influence and intellectual property theft.
“As I hope you agree, the PRC is the United States’s biggest geopolitical adversary,” Banks emphasized. “We should take every measure to strengthen our defenses against this adversary, which must include blocking their ability to propagandize in America’s K-12 schools. I call on you to immediately address this issue with the urgency it deserves and look forward to your response.”
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the Department of Education for comment.
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