Arizona Governor bans ethnic studies program

I will probably be flamed for this but please read all before commenting. My post is a comment on the recent article which you can read here:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g7t3Rd4wB0IpcRI0xcoiaN4VEA2w

I actually agree with this decision as long as it only pertains to middle and high school studies and does not affect college courses.

I think programs offered in middle and high school should be broad in scope and not so specific. A broader curriculum will expose students to many different ideas and help them choose what they may want to focus on in future education.

“Brewer approved a bill late Tuesday, promoted by the state's schools boss, Tom Horne, who has said that the program run by the Tucson school district promotes a "destructive ethnic chauvinism."”

I don’t agree with that statement – I think it is just sensationalizing the issue
However,

“Tucson school officials have insisted the program only aims to provide students with courses about the role of minorities in historical events such as the Vietnam war or literature courses featuring Latino authors.”

I find spending money on such specific programs in high school is detrimental to the entire student body. We need to spend more on courses which focus subject matter and not specific groups related to the subject. Literature, Music, Science, Mathematics, Geography, Astronomy, Art, Natural Science, Chemistry, Biology etc. are not only the backbone but also the springboard of good education.

“The law was approved by Brewer despite condemnation from a panel of United Nations human rights experts released several hours earlier.
In a lengthy statement condemning Arizona's immigration law, the experts said the education bill was at odds with "the right of everyone to have access to his or her own cultural and linguistic heritage."
"Everyone has the right to seek and develop cultural knowledge and to know and understand his or her own culture and that of others through education and information," the UN panel said.“

I actually agree with this but remember, this is America and freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment. If one high school is allowed to offer courses on “the role of minorities in historical events such as the Vietnam war” others will be allowed to offer courses on “prominent figures of the K.K.K.”. Let’s keep the politics out of school and keep our kids educated on a wider array of topics.

If a high school student shows a healthy interest in a specific topic, most high schools offer Independent Study courses. Students can work with their counselor to develop a course curriculum specific to their interests. The student earns credits towards graduation and is able to use school facilities to pursue their desired subject.

George Washington Carver – Black American inventor
Sir Isaac Newton - White English physicist, mathematician, astronomer
Jean-Michel Basquiat – Haitian/Puerto Rican artist
Fyodor Dostoyevsky – White Russian writer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – White German composer
Clara Barton – White American organized the American Red Cross

All of these people have done amazing things, instead of focusing on their race, religion, gender or nationality we should focus on the fact that they are inventors, physicists, mathematicians, astronomers, artists, musicians, and humanitarians.

We are all members of the human race, no matter how different. If you segregate yourselves from a broad education you are doing yourself a disservice.