AN ACT CONCERNING HUMANE EDUCATION.

This bill requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to assist and encourage local and regional boards of education to include humane education as part of the curriculum for students and in-service training for teachers. SBE must do so within available appropriations and using available resources.

By law, SBE must make available curriculum and other materials to assist local and regional boards of education to develop instructional programs. It must also help and encourage them to include in the curriculum six specific topics plus any topic that the local and regional boards request and SBE approves. The bill adds the principles of humane education to that list. It also specifies that SBE must provide material to help boards develop instructional policies, in addition to programs under current law.

The bill adds the principles of humane education to the in-service training programs that SBE must help and encourage local and regional education boards to provide to teachers, administrators, and pupil personnel.

Under the bill, the principles of humane education curriculum include the importance of character traits such as compassion, kindness, and empathy and the humane and respectful treatment of people, animals, and the environment. The bill specifies that SBE must develop this curriculum in consultation with, as needed, the (1) agriculture and education commissioners, (2) state farm industry representatives, and (3) animal welfare and humane education organizations.

By law, the SBE, within available appropriations and using available resources, must (1) make available curriculum and other material and assist and encourage local and regional boards to develop instructional programs and (2) assist and encourage local and regional boards to provide in-service training on:

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 at the request of local or regional education boards.

The law mandates a prescribed course of study on which local and regional education boards must provide in-service training programs, including, for example, on the nature and the relationship of drugs and alcohol to health and personality development, and procedures for discouraging their abuse.

Yea

Nay

(03/12/2007)