US students accuse school board of censoring history

Around 1,000 US students from six suburban Denver schools have walked out of their classrooms to protest against what they call authorities’ attempt to change America’s history.

The demonstrators said a new set of high school history standards is aimed at censoring their history curriculum and changing America’s history by focusing on topics that promote citizenship, patriotism and respect for authority.

The protest on Wednesday was the largest of a series of student demonstrations opposing the set of high school history standards proposed by Jefferson County’s conservative-led school board.

The high school students have staged mass walkouts since Monday.

The protests began Friday with a sick out by teachers upset over the proposed changes and other problems. Officials say the changes are necessary to make the textbooks balanced.

The Jefferson County school board plan would establish a committee to review texts and coursework to make sure materials “promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free-market system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights” and don’t “encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law.”

The student protest comes a week after teachers at two schools in Denver caused a shutdown by staging a walkout over the curriculum changes.

Tensions over high school education have turned into a heated debate in the US recently. Similar disputes have also been reported in Texas and South Carolina.