(a)(1) All high, preparatory, secondary and elementary schools, public or private, whose property is exempt from taxation, shall provide a program of United States history, including instruction in United States government at the local, state and national levels, and in the duties, responsibilities, and rights of United States citizenship. No student shall be graduated from any such school who has not been found to be familiar with said subjects.

1. (2) For purposes of subdivision (1) of this subsection, elementary schools shall include in their third, fourth or fifth grade curriculum a program on democracy in which students engage in a participatory manner in learning about all branches of government.
2. (b) The State Board of Education shall, upon request by a board of education, make samples of materials available for use in the schools required to teach the courses provided for in this section, with supplementary materials for such use.

(1949 Rev., S. 1352–1357; 1959, P.A. 411, S. 2, 3; 1971, P.A. 758; P.A. 77-614, S. 302, 587, 610; P.A. 78-218, S. 18; 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 82-83, S. 1, 3; P.A. 84-255, S. 19, 21; P.A. 07-138, S. 1; P.A. 08-153, S. 3.)

History: 1959 act changed references in Subsecs. (a) and (f) from state teachers colleges to state colleges; 1971 act deleted state colleges from requirement for citizenship course, deleted former detailed provisions in former Subsecs. (b), (c), (f) and part of (d), replacing them with general requirement for program of study of U.S. history and government and citizenship for “high, preparatory, secondary and elementary schools”; P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of the state board of education, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-218 substituted “Each local or regional board of education” for “The board of education of each school district”; P.A. 82-83 deleted Subsec. (c) which had required filing of course descriptions of United States history, government and citizenship with the commissioner of education; P.A. 84-255 added provision to clarify that instruction in United States government is to include instruction in local, state and national government; P.A. 07-138 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing language as Subdiv. (1) and to add Subdiv. (2) re fourth or fifth grade curriculum program on democracy, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-153 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to add third grade democracy curriculum program, effective July 1, 2008.