STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 348
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2021
RE: H.B. No. 619
H.D. 1
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-First State Legislature
Regular Session of 2021
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 619 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ETHNIC STUDIES,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to:
(1) Require public school students to complete a course in ethnic studies, beginning with public school students graduating at the end of the 2029-2030 school year; and
(2) Require the Superintendent of Education to develop, adopt, modify, or revise a model curriculum in ethnic studies, circulate the curriculum for public comment, and obtain approval of the curriculum from the Board of Education.
Your Committee finds that education is a powerful tool that can empower communities to remedy societal ills, such as racism, gender inequity, and discrimination, and can contribute to the development of civically- and critically-minded citizens. Your Committee further finds that ethnic studies promotes perspective-based learning and critical reading skills, which have the power to increase student involvement, reading comprehension, and standardized test scores and to decrease dropout rates. This measure will integrate ethnic studies into the public school education curriculum and prepare students to engage in the advancement of a more equal society.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; and
(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 619, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 619, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,
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____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair |
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