Sec. 10-16b. Prescribed courses of study.
Sec. 10-16b. Prescribed courses of study. (a) In the public schools the program
of instruction offered shall include at least the following subject matter, as taught by
legally qualified teachers, the arts; career education; consumer education; health and
safety, including, but not limited to, human growth and development, nutrition, first aid,
disease prevention, community and consumer health, physical, mental and emotional
health, including youth suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, safety, which
may include the dangers of gang membership, and accident prevention; language arts,
including reading, writing, grammar, speaking and spelling; mathematics; physical education; science; social studies, including, but not limited to, citizenship, economics,
geography, government and history; and in addition, on at least the secondary level, one
or more foreign languages and vocational education. For purposes of this subsection,
language arts may include American sign language or signed English, provided such
subject matter is taught by a qualified instructor under the supervision of a teacher
who holds a certificate issued by the State Board of Education. For purposes of this
subsection, the "arts" means any form of visual or performing arts, which may include,
but not be limited to, dance, music, art and theatre.
(b) If a local or regional board of education requires its pupils to take a course in a
foreign language, the parent or guardian of a pupil identified as deaf or hearing impaired
may request in writing that such pupil be exempted from such requirement and, if such
a request is made, such pupil shall be exempt from such requirement.
(c) Each local and regional board of education shall on September 1, 1982, and
annually thereafter at such time and in such manner as the Commissioner of Education
shall request, attest to the State Board of Education that such local or regional board of
education offers at least the program of instruction required pursuant to this section,
and that such program of instruction is planned, ongoing and systematic.
(d) The State Board of Education shall make available curriculum materials and
such other materials as may assist local and regional boards of education in developing
instructional programs pursuant to this section. The State Board of Education, within
available appropriations and utilizing available resource materials, shall assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include: (1) Holocaust education and
awareness; (2) the historical events surrounding the Great Famine in Ireland; (3) African-American history; (4) Puerto Rican history; (5) Native American history; (6) personal
financial management; and (7) topics approved by the state board upon the request of
local or regional boards of education as part of the program of instruction offered pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.
(P.A. 78-218, S. 11; 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-128, S. 13, 36; P.A. 80-166, S. 2; P.A. 89-133, S. 1, 2; 89-185, S. 1,
2; P.A. 93-416, S. 6, 10; P.A. 95-101, S. 1; P.A. 97-45, S. 1; 97-61, S. 1; P.A. 08-153, S. 8.)
History: P.A. 78-303 allowed substitution of commissioner of education for secretary of state board of education in
accordance with P.A. 77-614, S. 302, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-128 replaced specific subject listings with more
general subject matter areas and added Subsecs. (b) and (c); P.A. 80-166 changed initial date in Subsec. (b) from "in 1981"
to "on September 1, 1982"; P.A. 89-133 in Subsec. (a) added provision that language arts may include certain sign languages,
added new Subsec. (b) providing an exemption from foreign language requirements for deaf or hearing impaired pupils
and relettered Subsecs. (b) and (c) as Subsecs. (c) and (d); P.A. 89-185 in Subsec. (a) added the subjects which health and
safety education shall include but not be limited to; P.A. 93-416 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that "safety" may include
the dangers of gang membership, effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 95-101 added provision concerning Holocaust education
and awareness in Subsec. (d); P.A. 97-45 amended Subsec. (d) to add provision concerning the Great Famine in Ireland;
P.A. 97-61 amended Subsec. (d) to expand the list of topics for programs of instruction to include African-American
History, Puerto-Rican History, Native American History, personal financial management and topics approved by the State
Board of Education at the request of local or regional boards of education; P.A. 08-153 amended Subsec. (a) to define
"arts", effective July 1, 2008.
See Sec. 10-19 re courses concerning effects of alcohol, nicotine or tobacco and drugs.
See Sec. 10-221a re high school graduation requirements.
See Sec. 29-7n(a) re definition of "gang".
Cited. 187 C. 187. Cited. 195 C. 24. Cited. 238 C. 1.
Subsec. (a):
Cited. 44 CA 179.