New Jersey Becomes One of First States in the US to Require Diversity Education in Schools

Following a bill signed by Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey schools are now required to incorporate diversity and inclusion lessons within academic lesson plans.

The Associated Press has reported that the new bill “aims to promote and highlight diversity, including economic, gender, sexual orientation and race.”

“The state’s education commissioner will give the state’s 600-plus districts sample activities and resources aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion,” AP added.

Following the legislation’s passage, Carol Murphy, Verlina Reynolds-Jackson and Anthony Verrelli, the Democratic state lawmakers who sponsored the bill, released a joint statement saying, “Schools in New Jersey reflect the rich diversity of our state. In health and physical education classes, students are taught to respect their individual and cultural differences to build healthy relationships both in and out of the classroom. The natural next step is to promote diversity, tolerance and respect for all. These are values students will take with them long after they graduate.”

The measure, which Murphy, Reynolds-Jackson, and Verrelli called a “natural next stop” to promote diversity goes into effect immediately but won’t be implemented into schooling officially until the start of New Jersey’s 2021-2022 academic year.

 

Related: For more recent diversity and inclusion news, click here.

 

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