Section 45400.

The Legislature hereby finds that when a public school that provides instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 through 12 has a substantial number of pupils who, together with their parents or guardians, speak a single primary language other than English, and does not have in its employ one or more bilingual employees fluent in both English and the primary language of such pupils and their parents or guardians, a serious educational disadvantage results for the pupils. Effective communication between the school authorities and both the affected pupils and their parents and guardians is absolutely essential to an effective educational program. It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to remove some of the barriers that face pupils who, together with their parents or guardians, speak a single primary language other than English, and to provide them, through more effective communication, with the most beneficial education possible from the public elementary schools, junior high schools, and high schools of this state.

(Enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)