Connecticut to include Sikhism in new social studies standards

The Connecticut State Board of Education in the US has initiated a move to include Sikhism in its new social studies standards.

These new standards, the first ever in the state, will give approximately 5,14,000 students in Connecticut, the opportunity to learn about the Sikh community.

Over the past year, Sikhs have been pushing for this.

"These new standards will provide students the opportunity to learn about the Sikh community at all three levels of their education," said Norwich City Councilman Swaranjit Singh.

"Classroom instruction about Sikh history and contributions from an early age are critical in creating a safe environment for our students," Singh said in a statement issued by the Sikh Coalition.

Local adoption and implementation of the new standards will begin in the coming years. The Sikh Coalition will continue to work closely with the Connecticut Department of Education during this process to ensure that ‘Sikhi’ successfully makes it into classrooms across the state, a media release said.

With this, Connecticut has become the eighteenth state in a growing list of states that have worked with the Sikh Coalition to include accurate information about Sikhs in their public school social studies standards.

In June, Washington DC became the most recent region to ensure the inclusion of Sikhism. These efforts mean that more than 25 million students from coast to coast have the possibility of a more inclusive and holistic education.

Sikhism is one of the largest religions in the world and the members of the community have contributed to American society for over 125 years in the fields of civil rights, politics, agriculture, engineering, and medicine.