Virginia
Board of Education Vote Updates and Revises History Standards - HAF says
Changes to Hinduism and Ancient India Positive
Richmond, VA (March 26, 2015) -- The Virginia Board of
Education voted to approve new history and social science standards Thursday,
including one that changes the way Hinduism and the history of ancient India
will be taught in public schools.
The Board’s vote paved the way for a new curriculum frameworks revision in the
state and subsequent textbook adoption. The standards are the blueprint upon
which curriculum frameworks are built. Together, they determine both the
contents of public school textbooks and what the state’s over 1 million public
school students will be required to learn about history. With the
standards vote completed, the curriculum framework revision is set to begin
immediately.
“The Department of Education staff and the Board of Education have taken a step
in the right direction, putting accuracy first for Virginia students,†said Murali Balaji,
Ph.D., Hindu American Foundation (HAF) education director. “And the
progress made today would not have been possible without the efforts of those
who worked diligently to change the curriculum frameworks nearly a decade ago.â€
The change in the standards reflects the culmination of a decade-long effort by
Hindu Virginians, including individuals and community organizations, as well as
educators and academics, for more accurate standards in learning about India and
Hinduism. HAF contended that the old standards did not accurately convey
information about Hinduism, nor the extent of the current academic debate
regarding the origins of ancient Indians. At Thursday’s Board
meeting, several Board members agreed, noting that the revised standards needed
to reflect current scholarship.
Previously, World History Standards pertaining to Ancient India and Hinduism
read:
4b. describing India,
with emphasis on caste system and Aryan migrations;
4c. describing the origins, beliefs, traditions, customs, and spread of
Hinduism; (no change)
Standard 4b now reads:
4b. locating India
in time and place, including its origins, and early development and the debate
over the Aryan migrations;
“Today’s vote lays an improved foundation for students to learn about history
more accurately and critically,†noted Suhag Shukla, Esq., HAF’s Executive
Director. “They will now understand that the study of history is a
process and that what we know or assume about the past today is always growing
and changing.â€
HAF worked with the Department of Education on language for the new standards,
with Dr. Balaji submitting testimony at three Board of Education meetings and
several public hearings over the past year. Previously HAF participated in
the state’s 2008 curriculum frameworks adoption process. Balaji noted the
Foundation’s continued commitment to helping Virginia
improve and modernize how ancient India and Hinduism are taught
through the frameworks process.
To view the full revised standards, please click here.
