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143,000 CHILDREN WERE BEING SERVED BY PROGRAMS OF THE BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT. HOWEVER, THESE REPRESENT ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THE TWO MILLION CHILDREN ESTIMATED -TO BE IN NEED OF BILINGUAL EDUCATION. THE COURTS ARE BEGINNING TO FIND THAT IT IS THE RESPONSI- BILITY OF THE SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE ALL THE CHILDREN, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND. THE CONGRESS HAS JUST RENEWED THE AUTHORIZATION FOR BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THERE IS A GROWING CONSENSUS THAT TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS HAVE NOT REACHED LARGE SEGMENTS OF NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING CHILDREN. AND YET THE PRESIDENT'S NEW BUDGET PROPOSES TO REDUCE THE FUNDING FOR THE BILINGUAL EDUCA- TION ACT FROM LAST YEAR'S 85 MILLION DOLLARS TO A LEVEL OF 70 MILLION DOLLARS. EDUCATION MUST NOT BE SACRIFICED ON THE ALTAR OF ALLEGED FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. WITH REGARD TO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS, THE AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION EXPIRES JUNE 30, 1975. CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS HAVE ALREADY BEGUN IN ORDER TO AMEND AND EXTEND THE LEGISLATION. AN AUDIT OF THESE PROGRAMS HAS BEEN CONCLUDED RECENTLY BY THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE (GAO), AND SO WE HAVE THEIR SUPPLEMENTARY ADVICE AND ANALYSIS FOR OUR DELIBERATIONS. - THE GAO REPORT WAS CRITICAL OF HOW THE PROGRAMS WERE ADMINISTERED IN SOME STATES WHILE OTHER STATES WERE FOUND NOT FOLLOWING THE MANDATORY SET- ASIDES REQUIRED BY LAW FOR THE HANDICAPPED AND THE DISADVANTAGED. AND IN A NUMBER OF PIJACFS, THE PROGRAMS WERE NOT DESIGNED TO MEET THE CHANGING DEMANDS OF LOCAL LABOR MARKETS, AS IS ALSO REQUIRED BY LAW. WITH THIS REPORT AND ADDITIONAL HEARINGS ON THIS PROGRAM, WE SHOULD HAVE A SOLID BASIS FOR PROPERLY EXTENDING THIS VITAL