§ 801 — Courses of instruction in patriotism and citizenship and in certain historic documents

§ 801. Courses of instruction in patriotism and citizenship and in\ncertain historic documents. 1. In order to promote a spirit of\npatriotic and civic service and obligation and to foster in the children\nof the state moral and intellectual qualities which are essential in\npreparing to meet the obligations of citizenship in peace or in war, the\nregents of The University of the State of New York shall prescribe\ncourses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship, civic education and\nvalues, our shared history of diversity, the role of religious tolerance\nin this country, and human rights issues, with particular attention to\nthe study of the inhumanity of genocide, slavery (including the freedom\ntrail and underground railroad), the Holocaust, and the mass starvation\nin Ireland from 1845 to 1850, to be maintained and followed in all the\nschools of the state. The boards of education and trustees of the\nseveral cities and school districts of the state shall require\ninstruction to be given in such courses, by the teachers employed in the\nschools therein. All pupils attending such schools, over the age of\neight years, shall attend upon such instruction.\n Similar courses of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in\nprivate schools in the state, and all pupils in such schools over eight\nyears of age shall attend upon such courses. If such courses are not so\nestablished and maintained in a private school, attendance upon\ninstruction in such school shall not be deemed substantially equivalent\nto instruction given to pupils of like age in the public schools of the\ncity or district in which such pupils reside.\n 2. The regents shall prescribe courses of instruction in the history,\nmeaning, significance and effect of the provisions of the constitution\nof the United States, the amendments thereto, the declaration of\nindependence, the constitution of the state of New York and the\namendments thereto, to be maintained and followed in all of the schools\nof the state. The boards of education and trustees of the several cities\nand school districts of the state shall require instruction to be given\nin such courses, by the teachers employed in the schools therein. All\npupils attending such schools, in the eighth and higher grades, shall\nattend upon such instruction.\n Similar courses of instruction shall be prescribed and maintained in\nprivate schools in the state, and all pupils in such schools in grades\nor classes corresponding to the instruction in the eighth and higher\ngrades of the public schools shall attend upon such courses. If such\ncourses are not so established and maintained in a private school,\nattendance upon instruction in such school shall not be deemed\nsubstantially equivalent to instruction given to pupils in the public\nschools of the city or district in which such pupils reside.\n 3. The regents shall determine the subjects to be included in such\ncourses of instruction in patriotism, citizenship, civic education and\nvalues, our shared history of diversity, the role of history of\ndiversity, the role of religious tolerance in this country, and human\nrights issues, with particular attention to the study of the inhumanity\nof genocide, slavery (including the freedom trail and underground\nrailroad), the Holocaust, and the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845\nto 1850, and in the history, meaning, significance and effect of the\nprovisions of the constitution of the United States, the amendments\nthereto, the declaration of independence, the constitution of the state\nof New York and the amendments thereto, and the period of instruction in\neach of the grades in such subjects. They shall adopt rules providing\nfor attendance upon such instruction and for such other matters as are\nrequired for carrying into effect the objects and purposes of this\nsection. The commissioner shall be responsible for the enforcement of\nsuch section and shall cause to be inspected and supervise the\ninstruction to be given in such subjects. The commissioner may, in his\ndiscretion, cause all or a portion of the public school money to be\napportioned to a district or city to be withheld for failure of the\nschool authorities of such district or city to provide instruction in\nsuch courses and to compel attendance upon such instruction, as herein\nprescribed, and for a non-compliance with the rules of the regents\nadopted as herein provided.\n 4. The regents shall designate a week during each year and prescribe a\nuniform course of exercises in the public schools of the state suitable\nfor pupils of various ages to instill into the minds of such pupils the\npurpose, meaning and importance of the bill of rights articles in the\nfederal and state constitutions. Such exercises shall be in addition to\nany prescribed courses of study in the schools.\n 5. The regents shall make available to all elementary schools in the\nstate suitable curriculum materials to aid in the instruction of pupils\nin grades kindergarten through six in the understanding and acceptance\nof children with disabilities as defined in section forty-four hundred\none of this chapter.\n