I think this was a patently awful idea, and I think that a close reading of the article supports this. Consider the situation: A person with some underlying ps

I think this was a patently awful idea, and I think that a close reading of the article supports this. Consider the situation: A person with some underlying psychiatric disorder decides to steal a car. They are arrested, trialled, and ordered to receive counseling at a mental health institution. As a result of the counseling, they are able to cope with their disability and become a more successful member of society. Does this mean that stealing a car is a good idea? No! The kids were not successful because they were forced to learn Russian. They were successful because they entered an innovative and expensive (USD 10000!) private school which made special exceptions and put in extra effort to bring the kids up to speed. This sort of extra effort is not the sort of treatment one should come to expect and rely on. It is what humans do in order to take care of others who have made grave errors; it is an outgrowth of compassion for the foolish. The bit about a teacher running a class in English should really drive this point home. I am happy to hear that the kids were able to succeed. However, the author is a chode.