House passes bill to mandate teaching of US history in vocational schools

House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez

By The Star Staff

The island House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a measure facilitated by Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez that mandates the Department of Education to design and integrate into the general curriculum of vocational schools the academic requirement for history classes, including U.S. history courses.

House Bill 31 was filed through a direct petition mechanism by students enrolled at Ana Delia Flores Santana Vocational School in Fajardo, as well as by social studies teacher Iliana Díaz.

“The Social Studies-History Program in the Magnet School curriculum has much room for improvement. In particular, we must ensure that the program includes elective courses in United States History, Sociology, Economics, Labor Relations, Electoral Processes, and other courses approved by qualified Department of Education personnel for the benefit of participating students,” the students stated in the measure’s preamble.

“Social studies education, both for high school students and those attending vocational schools, must be broad and encompass as many topics as possible,” they added. “An education limited to the participant’s socioeconomic background has the serious effect of limiting their vision within a modern, globalized world that requires highly specialized knowledge. This is particularly crucial in historical times when a country’s economic growth depends largely on having a working class with the skills, abilities, and experience necessary to perform jobs that require specific and sophisticated skills.”

The 2018 Education Reform (Law 85-2018) establishes a new teaching model for vocational schools known as “magnet schools,” a platform that seeks to implement an educational system in which each vocational school provides academic and occupational offerings through diverse study programs.

The Social Studies-History Program courses currently available to students participating in Puerto Rican public vocational school programs are very limited, the sponsors of the bill noted. This is because, pursuant to Administrative Memo No. 12-2014-2015, the current curriculum in vocational schools only includes Puerto Rican history as a graduation requirement at the higher education level.

That reality limits the knowledge that students in vocational schools can acquire, the bill’s proponents said, particularly compared to other young people in the island’s public education system who benefit from more comprehensive courses.

The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration.