What's happening
This bill requires New York schools to include instruction on the history of the Garifuna people in their curriculum.
Why it matters
Highlights the Garifuna people's history alongside other major human rights topics. , signaling state-level recognition of their cultural and historical significance and validating the experiences of Garifuna New Yorkers.
Requires both public and private schools to teach about the Garifuna. , ensuring that education on this topic is widespread and not limited by school type or location.
Empowers the state education commissioner to enforce compliance. , including the potential withholding of school funds for districts or schools that do not provide this instruction, which raises the stakes for curricular inclusion and accountability.
May foster greater cultural awareness and inclusivity among students. , potentially improving understanding of New York’s diverse communities and addressing gaps in the traditional curriculum about marginalized or lesser-known groups.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Teach Garifuna History in Schools
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3972
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SEPULVEDA, JOYNER, WEPRIN, DAVILA, MAGEE, CRESPO, COOK, JAFFEE, ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to instruction on the Garifuna people
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 1 and 3 of section 801 of the education law, as amended by chapter 574 of the laws of 1997, are amended to read as follows:
1. In order to promote a spirit of patriotic and civic service and obligation and to foster in the children of the state moral and intellectual qualities which are essential in preparing to meet the obligations of citizenship in peace or in war, the regents of The University of the State of New York shall prescribe courses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship, and human rights issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground railroad), the Holocaust, the history of the Garifuna people, and the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, to be maintained and followed in all the schools of the state. The boards of education and trustees of the several cities and school districts of the state shall require instruction to be given in such courses, by the teachers employed in the schools therein. All pupils attending such schools, over the age of eight years, shall attend upon such instruction.
Similar courses of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in private schools in the state, and all pupils in such schools over eight years of age shall attend upon such courses. If such courses are not so established and maintained in a private school, attendance upon instruction in such school shall not be deemed substantially equivalent to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07372-01-7
A. 3972 2
instruction given to pupils of like age in the public schools of the city or district in which such pupils reside.
3. The regents shall determine the subjects to be included in such courses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship, and human rights issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity of genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground railroad), the Holocaust, the history of the Garifuna people, and the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, and in the history, meaning, significance and effect of the provisions of the constitution of the United States, the amendments thereto, the declaration of independence, the constitution of the state of New York and the amendments thereto, and the period of instruction in each of the grades in such subjects. They shall adopt rules providing for attendance upon such instruction and for such other matters as are required for carrying into effect the objects and purposes of this section. The commissioner shall be responsible for the enforcement of such section and shall cause to be inspected and supervise the instruction to be given in such subjects. The commissioner may, in his discretion, cause all or a portion of the public school money to be apportioned to a district or city to be withheld for failure of the school authorities of such district or city to provide instruction in such courses and to compel attendance upon such instruction, as herein prescribed, and for a non-compliance with the rules of the regents adopted as herein provided.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.