Parents at two schools in the US are calling for "transparency" regarding a new ethnic studies course which they claim is being kept "secret".
It is thought that the high schools in Palo Alto will deliver the new class to a small group of incoming freshmen before rolling it out school-wide in the 2025-26 school year.
The studies will include the experiences of minority groups in America, namely those of African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders.
Now, the Palo Alto Parents Alliance (PA²) want to see the plans before they are enforced amid concerns the course will take a "liberated" approach focused on discrimination and oppression in comparison to an "inclusive" one.
Parents at two schools in the US are calling for 'transparency' regarding a new ethnic studies course which they claim is being kept 'secret' (stock image)GettySome have argued the scheme will aid minority students in learning about their culture.
A total of 1,400 signatures have been collected by the PA² demanding transparency.
"It would sure help if we as parents could see the curriculum. A lot of what we want is just to see what’s being proposed, and to see the curriculum," Alan Crystal, the father of an incoming senior, told The San Francisco Chronicle.
"We aren’t against ethnic studies. Our issue is with a non-transparent rollout," Sarith Honigstein, a member of PA² added.
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Bill Honig, former California Superintendent of Public Instruction, described a "liberated" model in Ed Source as: "Presenting non-whites as victims and whites, individually and collectively through institutions, as oppressors."
He described an "inclusive" approach as: "Inclusive ethnic studies does not prioritise group membership over the uniqueness of each individual...
"Rejects group identity as the primary lens to understand history, society, culture and politics...Advances the importance of an individual's characteristics."
According to Guillermo Lopez - the school district's associate superintendent - students will receive an "inclusive" curriculum.
Some have argued the scheme will aid minority students in learning about their culture (stock image)
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The concerns come after the school district covering nearby San Mateo received hundreds of complaints after parents were left angry following claims the ethnic studies course was pushing a left-wing agenda.
Mountain View Los Altos High School District was sued by a nonprofit to make its curriculum documents public.
Florida has also banned an AP course on African American studies, while Tennessee restricted teachers from discussing certain topics involving race.
