DC Schools To Include Sikhism In Curriculum

WASHINGTON, DC (IANS) – Students in Washington D.C. will now have a chance to learn about the Sikh community with the District of Columbia State Board of Education voting in favor of new social studies standards that will include Sikhi, or the Sikh faith, in the school curriculum.

With this development, Washington D.C. will now join 17 states in the US to incorporate accurate information about Sikhs into their social studies standards for public schools.

The new standards will give approximately 49,800 students in the state the opportunity to learn about the Sikh community, a Sikh Coalition release stated.

Welcoming the announcement, Harman Singh, Sikh Coalition Education Director said: “Inclusive and accurate standards are an important first step to combat bigotry and to reduce bullying, and they benefit all students by increasing baseline cultural competency and decreasing ignorance”.

In April this year, the Virginia State Board of Education voted in favor of new History and Social Science Standards of Learning, which includes Sikhism.