The state of Virginia has joined 16 other states in the US by including information about the Sikh faith, known as Sikhi, in its school curriculum. The Virginia State Board of Education voted in favour of the new History and Social Science Standards of Learning, which will incorporate knowledge about the Sikh community for the first time. This means that over a million students in Virginia will have the opportunity to learn about the Sikh religion, its practices, and traditions.
The Sikh Coalition, a US-based organisation that has been advocating for accurate information about Sikhism to be included in schools since March 2021, expressed its approval of the new standards. They stated that inclusive and accurate standards are crucial for reducing bullying, combating bigotry and increasing cultural competency for all students. Harman Singh, the Senior Education Manager at the Sikh Coalition, added that it had taken more than two years of effort to achieve this milestone, but it would help ensure that Sikhism could be taught in classrooms across Virginia.
However, the Sikh Coalition also pointed out that the new social studies standards have well-documented flaws and that many communities are still not adequately represented. The organisation stated that it would continue to fight not only for the Sikh community but for all groups whose histories should be taught accurately.
Sikhism is the fifth-largest religion in the world, and Utah and Mississippi were the 15th and 16th states in the US, respectively, to include information about the Sikh faith in their social studies syllabi. Sikhs believe that the inclusion of their faith in the school curriculum will help them fight harassment, bullying and discrimination in American society. The Sikh Coalition hopes that more US states will follow Virginia’s lead in including accurate information about Sikhs in their public school social studies standards.
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