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As a student one needs to be exposed to different cultures and learn further about them. This helps with our understanding of people. Further on, in schools and colleges today, we meet people who are from different races and cultures.

But the government of the state of Arizona does not think ethnic studies are important. There is of course a major concern behind this decision.  In a recent bill which was signed on Tuesday, the government banned ethnic studies in the public schools of Arizona. 

This was done just after a week of passing the immigration bill which required the police forces to seek proof of residence from the immigrants. This holds true for those who are suspected to be immigrants as well.

Although this bill was passed on Tuesday, it will come in effect from 31st December 2010. When the bill comes into effect it will not allow schools to conduct special classes for ethnic groups within the school. 

This is because such classes many times are propagandist in nature. They are conducted to inculcate resentment resent among the students belonging to the ethnic groups against regular children and not help them become comfortable with their surroundings.

Such classes lead ethnic students to remain in their own groups which act as shells. Because of which these students never feel a part of the crowd and do not mingle with the rest of the children in schools. Suddenly they become representatives of a race not individuals.

But this decision has not gone down well with many institutions. The head superintendent of the Public Instruction of Arizona stated that this bill was targeted at Mexican- American student program carried on in many Tucson school systems. This has been going on for the past decade and half.

This study program offers literature and history studies which are specific to Latino culture. It also offers Native American and American-African studies. About 2 percent of the 55,000 students in the Tucson schools participate in these studies.

The school authorities argue that students prefer joining these study programs and learning about their own culture along with other subjects, because they can relate to it. The teaching staffs here claims that the students found these courses really engaging and enjoyed them. They feel censoring the classes will cause many students to lose interest.

But a spokesperson from the government stated that these studies did a lot of damage to students as they teach them that the white people oppress them. This is not true anymore, added the spokesperson. Now it is up to the Superintendent to check whether a school that conducts such studies is violating the laws or not.

Many parents belonging to the ethnic races feel that this law if passed will do no good for their children. Censoring study programs will cause further damage as well. Education should be able to help children know about their culture and race and not teach them to be against one and other.