Illinois public schools will be required to show college students in regards to the contributions made by members of the LGBTQ group below a legislation Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed final week.
The new legislation mandates that the historical past curriculum in public schools embody classes on the contributions of lesbian, homosexual, bisexual and transgender individuals in Illinois and the United States. The classes should be taught to college students earlier than they full the eighth grade.
“One of the most effective methods to beat intolerance is thru schooling and publicity to completely different individuals and viewpoints,” Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans of Chicago, one of many invoice’s Senate sponsors, mentioned in a information launch. “An inclusive curriculum won’t solely educate an correct model of historical past but in addition promote acceptance of the LGBTQ group.”
According to state Rep. Ann Moeller, an Elgin Democrat who was one of many invoice’s sponsors in the House, Illinois is the fifth state in the nation to undertake such laws.
“The new legislation’s purpose is easy: to know that individuals from completely different backgrounds deserve the identical alternative to study and be acknowledged for their contributions in society as everybody else,” Moeller mentioned in a information launch.