Full California Board of Education Adopts Textbook Changes On Hinduism

Yesterday, according to the Sacramento Bee, California's State Board of Education approved changes to history textbooks, in an attempt to find a compromise to conflicting demands raised in previous months about how Hinduism should be taught in public schools. (See prior posting.) Controversy has focused on whether the textbooks' descriptions of caste and gender discrimination unfairly singled out Hinduism for practices common in the ancient world. Opponents said the proposed changes would whitewash practices that still go on in India. The recommended changes the board accepted Wednesday in most cases represented points of agreement among opposing groups, according to Department of Education staff.