Syriac language education set to expand reach in US with adoption at Maine East High School in Illinois
PARK RIDGE, Illinois, US — Syriac language education is set to expand in the US with its adoption as a foreign language at Maine East High School in Park Ridge, Illinois, US. The Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) community has been actively promoting the teaching, development, and dissemination of the Syriac language in all its dialects across the United States. Notably, Syriac teachers and community leaders are making efforts to establish Syriac as an official language in areas with a prominent Syriac population.
Maine East High School has approved the inclusion of the Syriac language, specifically its eastern dialect, as an official part of its educational curriculum, commencing in 2024.
This decision positions Maine East as the latest addition to the growing roster of educational institutions imparting the Syriac language, contributing to a total of three high schools in Illinois dedicated to Syriac language instruction.