SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, July 21, 2016 (Diya TV): State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced Thursday that the State Board of Education approve the History-Social Science Framework for California Public Schools, which will update and upgrade history and social science instruction in California. Leaders of the Hindu American Foundation also announced Thursday that important progress had been made in the effort to ensure that Hinduism and India are presented equitably and accurately in the aforementioned framework.
“This is a big win for our students,” Torlakson said in a statement. “This document will improve the teaching and learning of history and social science. It will give our students access to the latest historical research and help them learn about the diversity of our state and the contributions of people and groups who may not have received the appropriate recognition in the past.” Approved after a nearly two-year long process, the framework, with the input from multiple Hindu American community groups, parents and schoolchildren, now incorporates prominent mention of Hinduism’s pluralistic ethos, Hindu sages of diverse backgrounds, and the importance of the Bhakti movement.
Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom presented the Board with a letter on July 11, urging them to adopt a framework that would “accurately portray the unique contribution of California’s diverse communities.” Newsom applauded the Board’s efforts to reinsert specific references to India in the framework, however, added that replacing references to Hinduism still left much to be desired.
Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, sent a letter to the Board as well. She applauded the efforts of the Instructional Quality Commission, just as Newsom had, but urged the Board to ensure the additional concerns of the Hindu-American community were addressed. “As the first and only serving Hindu American Member of Congress, I have worked actively throughout my many years of service to promote diversity, equality, and pluralism,” she wrote. “I firmly believe in the significance of creating an education system and textbooks that uphold these important American values.”
Hindu American Foundation’s senior director and Human Rights Fellow Samir Kalra voiced public disappointment after the Board could not be swayed to hear those additional changes requested by Hindus. “The Board showed much sensitivity to activists representing Islam and Muslims, by adjusting the frameworks slightly to show the religion in a more positive light,” Kalra said, adding however that the same sentiment was paid to the further discussion of additional changes for Hindus. “We only wish they had shown the same empathy when discussing further changes on the presentation of Hinduism,” Kalra said.
Much more at “source” above including an excellent video interview.