Sikhism to Become Part of School Curriculum in Virginia

Virginia State Board of Education has voted to include Sikhi or Sikhism in the school curriculum for the state. Virginia has now become the 17th state in the US to do the same. Harman Singh, Senior Education Manager, Sikh Coalition said this will help combat bigotry and reduce bullying.

Virginia has become the 17th state after Utah and Mississippi to include Sikhism in its school curriculum. The Virginia State Board of Education has voted in favour of new History and Social Science Standards of Learning which now include Sikhism. Harman Singh, Senior Education Manager, Sikh Coalition, said in a statement, “After more than two years of engagement alongside the local sangat, this change will help to ensure that Sikhi can be taught in classrooms across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Inclusive and accurate standards are an important first step to combat bigotry and to reduce bullying, and they benefit all students by increasing cultural competency.”

The coalition has been trying to incorporate this change since March 2021 and believes that there are many communities that are underrepresented.

Sikhism has contributed to American society for more than 125 years in the fields of civil rights, politics, agriculture, engineering, and medicine. It is the fifth-largest religion in the world. Recently, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a resolution in the US House of Representatives to designate April 14 as National Sikh Day in the US. As of now, it is unclear when it will be implemented.

Vineet Washington