In recent years, many schools in the United States have decided to include Sikhism in their educational curricula. An important reason for including Sikhism in school curricula is to encourage religious diversity.
Recognizing that the United States is home to a diverse spectrum of religious beliefs and practices, educators understand the need to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of many religious traditions. Schools create an environment that celebrates and respects religious pluralism by including Sikhism in the curriculum.
Eighteen states and Washington, DC have passed legislation to teach Sikhism in grades K-12, with the district the latest to join the growing list. The trend started in New Jersey in 2009.
Sikhs are a growing community in the United States. Targeted bullying of Sikh students is on the rise, with turbans and beards making the group an easy target, and years of advocacy are now paying off.
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- Now 19 US States Will Supposedly Include Sikhism In The Curriculum, Here’s Why
- This is what the curriculum could look like
- Bullying prevention through education
- The defense of the community
Now 19 US States Will Supposedly Include Sikhism In The Curriculum, Here’s Why
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Gurjap Kaur Kohli, now 17, was a student in New Jersey in 2017 and was delighted to be a resident of the first state to mandate Sikhism education in schools. Six years later, she is pleased to see more schools implementing the curriculum.
For kids like Kohli, the obligation made her feel seen and eased the stress of answering questions about her religion, the world’s fifth-largest.
This is what the curriculum could look like
Scott Potusek, a social studies teacher from upstate New York, incorporates a section on comparative world religions into his curriculum each year. He noticed how excited a Sikh student was to learn about the monotheistic religion that originated in India when he began teaching sixth grade about five years ago.
“It was great that that experience came from including religion in the standards and seeing the impact it had on students in the classroom and the direction in which we took our curriculum,” Potusek told NBC News.
According to the charity Kaur Foundation, the Sikh population in the United States has gradually increased since the late 19th century, contributing to fields such as agriculture, health, and the arts. According to the organization, there are about 750,000 Sikhs in the United States and 30 million globally.
Three of the four most populous states, California, New York and Texas, are among the 19 states that have embraced Sikhism in the classroom. Since 2019, momentum has built, with 11 states adopting the curriculum in the last four years.
Potusek, an educated Catholic, said he contacted the Sikh Coalition, a nonprofit national advocacy organization, for help in understanding the faith for his class unity.
Its curriculum incorporates the training and customs of Sikhism, such as the five articles of faith: kesh (uncut hair), kara (steel bracelet), kanga (small wooden comb), kachera (underpants), and kirpan (similar to a dagger or sword) . Uncut hair helps Sikhs live in their God-given image, while the kara serves as a physical reminder of their spiritual connection.
In 2020, Potusek ISD expanded its social studies curriculum to meet the New York State Standards, which offer a broad religious unity that includes Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
Bullying prevention through education
As disputes over school curricula erupt in classrooms and libraries, Harman Singh, director of education for the Sikh Coalition, feels that education that focuses on religion and culture is critical, especially as the political landscape and new legislation they make the teaching of history more complex.
He stresses the importance of historic events such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which fueled intolerance, especially against turbaned Sikhs, and the 2012 Oak Creek, Wisconsin, massacre in which a white supremacist killed six people. inside a gurdwara, a sikh temple. of praise. Four people were injured, one of whom died from injuries sustained in the incident years later.
According to the Sikh Coalition, Sikh students are bullied at twice the national average. Advocates like Singh believe that teaching students about Sikhism at an early age is critical to combating racism and xenophobia.
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“Education is one of the most effective ways to reduce bullying.” As the political dynamics surrounding social studies standards in this nation become more divided, he says, “we are seeing increased interest and commitment from members of the Sikh community and coalition partners to fight for social studies standards.” inclusive social “.
According to the Sikh Coalition, Sikh children were bullied on social media, in person, and through violence. This is a common occurrence for Sikhs who grew up in the Diaspora.
According to a 2020 survey by the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, 58 percent of Sikhs have been bullied or harassed because of their religious identity. Sixty-three percent of Sikhs reported being discriminated against for wearing a turban.
The defense of the community
As possibilities for changing the social studies curriculum state by state arose, nonprofit activists collaborated with local communities to integrate the history of Sikhism and the impact Sikhs have had on American history. in the classrooms. Singh stated that the Sikh Coalition is working with communities in Minnesota and Connecticut to develop a curriculum that incorporates Sikhism. They are also working with the Utah, Mississippi and Virginia school systems to prepare the curricula after the consent of the states.
While states with substantial Sikh populations, such as New Jersey and California, Singh believes it is equally necessary to cover the issue in states with smaller Sikh populations, such as North Dakota. For some young people, learning about Sikhism at school means experiencing the performance for the first time.
“We believe that states with fewer Sikhs also require inclusion because Sikh students in those schools or districts may be the only Sikh students there,” he said. “They may be especially vulnerable to feeling that they are not being seen or represented, and they may not have a gurdwara or local community that they can turn to.”
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Singh argues that as school districts gain a greater understanding of what education should entail, students should be exposed to these issues sooner.
“Ignorance breeds animosity, and one of the best ways to keep students safe is through inclusive education,” he explained.
Each state has its curricular standards, and the units, like all disciplines, are structured: Sikhism teaches the fundamentals of the religion in elementary school social studies classes, which are later expanded in middle and high school classrooms. .
“It’s not enough for a student to learn historically about the Sikh community in grade 11 because up to that point they haven’t had exposure to the community and there’s no point of reference,” Singh told NBC News.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn