ADVERTISEMENTs
.png)
Florida’s Broward County approves Diwali as official school holiday
The decision will enable approximately 35,000 students to partake in the Hindu Festival of Lights without the pressure of academic commitments, as schools in Broward County will be closed on October 20 for Diwali
School Board Meeting / Image- X
Florida’s Broward County Public Schools (BCPS), the 6th-largest school system in the nation, voted unanimously on Dec. 17 to recognize Diwali as an official holiday starting in the 2024-2025 academic year.
The decision will enable approximately 35,000 students to partake in the Hindu Festival of Lights without the pressure of academic commitments, as schools in Broward County will be closed on October 20 for Diwali, a celebration of the victory of good over evil, observed by more than a billion individuals globally.
School Board Meeting - December 17, 2024 https://t.co/oC2lLCPMLc
— Broward Schools (@browardschools) December 17, 2024
Local leaders and advocates celebrated the decision, expressing their passionate support before the school board prior to the vote. Raj Verma, a Davie resident, addressed the board, saying, “Your action today would be a testimony of promoting diversity, multiculturalism, fairness, and inclusivity, making you a leader for other school boards to follow. This decision weaves students into the secular fabric of the great mosaic called the United States.”
Fareida Rajkumar, a parent and Hindu community advocate, echoed similar sentiments: “Today serves as a positive reminder for any community that has ever felt marginalized, unseen, or unheard that you can really make a difference. This decision helps build understanding and acceptance at an early age, creating a better society for all of us.”
To accommodate the new holiday, the school day for middle school students will be extended by 10 minutes, while the schedules for high school and elementary students remain unchanged.
Suhag A. Shukla, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, praised the move, tweeting, “This is big! After NYC’s million students got a Diwali holiday thanks to Jenifer Rajkumar, now a quarter million Florida kids get to observe Diwali. Congratulations to the Broward County Hindu community for this historic vote!”
New York State Assemblywoman Jennifer Rajkumar, who successfully led the effort to make Diwali a school holiday in New York City, lauded Broward County’s action. “This is yet another momentous step toward recognizing South Asian culture in the fabric of American society,” she said.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
ADVERTISEMENT
.jpg)
Video
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login