New Jersey

Title 18A. Education
Subtitle 6. Conduct of Schools
Part 2. Facilities and Conduct of Schools
Chapter 35. Curriculum and Courses
Article 1. Curriculum

Section 18A:35-1. Course in history of the United States in high school

The superintendent of schools in each school district shall prepare and recommend to the board of education of the district, and the board of education shall adopt a suitable two-year course of study in the history of the United States, including the history of New Jersey, to be given to each student during the last four years of high school. . . .

Section 18A:35-2. Nature and purpose of United States history course

Such course of study shall include instruction in

(1) The principles and ideals of the American form of representative government as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States and particularly in the Bill of Rights; and

(2) The history of the origin and growth of the social, economic and cultural development of the United States, of American family life and of the high standard of living and other privileges enjoyed by the citizens of the United States; and

(3) Such other events in the history of the United States as will tend to instill, into every girl and boy, a determination to preserve these principles
and ideals as those of citizens of the United States and an appreciation of their solemn duty and obligation to exercise the privilege of the ballot, upon their reaching voting age, to the end that said principles and ideals may be so preserved; and

(4) The history of the State of New Jersey.

Section 18A:35-3. Course in civics, geography and history of New Jersey

Each board of education shall adopt a course of study in community civics, the geography, history and civics of New Jersey, and the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship as they relate to community and national welfare, which course shall be taken by all pupils in the public elementary schools in the grade or grades in which it is given, with the object of producing the highest type of patriotic citizenship.

Chapter 36. General Conduction of Schools
Section 18A:36-18 – Books containing organic laws at graduation

The board of education of every school district shall have printed and suitably bound in book form, copies of the Declaration of Independence, the constitution of the United States and the amendments thereto, and the constitution of the state of New Jersey and the amendments thereto, and a copy of such book shall be presented to each pupil upon his graduation from any elementary school.

[This statute was located on April 7, 2005 and may have been modified or amended since that date.]