Calif. becomes first state to require high schoolers take ethnic studies to graduate

October 11, 2021

A new mandate has stated that California students will need to pass a course in ethnic studies in order to graduate from high school.

First of its kind: Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Friday that includes ethnic studies as a graduation requirement for all K-12 students beginning in the school year 2025-26, reported the Associated Press.

As soon as the mandate is in effect, all public schools in the state will be required to offer at least one ethnic studies course.
Students should have completed a one-semester course in the subject by the year they graduate.
The new ethnic studies course will be added to other standard graduation requirements, including English, social studies, math and science.

This legislation marks the first state-wide mandate that ensures high school students will learn about the historically ignored subject.
Assemblyman Jose Medina (D-Riverside), who authored the bill, noted the “long wait” while highlighting the readiness of today’s schools in creating a curriculum that is “more equitable and more reflective of social justice.”
The state will allocate $50 million from this year’s budget to help schools develop ethnic studies curriculums.

A long struggle: Calls to include ethnic studies in schools began in the late ‘60s when Californian students demanded courses in African American, Chicano, Asian American and Native American studies.

Earlier this year, California’s Board of Education also approved an optional model ethnic studies curriculum that focuses on the four historically marginalized groups, reported the Los Angeles Times.
The model curriculum, which underwent several revisions and debates, offers lesson plans and instructional suggestions that schools may choose to adopt or use as a guide.
It also now allows the inclusion of lesson plans covering Jews, Arab Americans, Sikh Americans and Armenian Americans.

Featured Image via Charlotte May

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