On Thursday, Virginia, USA, approved new social studies standards that will include Sikhism or the Sikh faith in the school curriculum for the first time. More than a million Virginia students will now learn about Sikhism.

Over a million students in Virginia will be able to learn about Sikhism after the US state approved new social studies standards on Thursday that will include Sikhi, or the Sikh faith, in the school curriculum for the first time.

The Virginia State Board of Education approved the new History and Social Science Learning Standards. According to the Sikh Coalition, the new standards will allow more than a million Virginia students to learn about the Sikh community.

According to a statement, Virginia is now the 17th state in the United States to collaborate with the Sikh Coalition to include accurate information about Sikhs in their public-school social studies standards.

Utah and Mississippi became the 15th and 16th states in the United States to incorporate information about Sikhism, Sikh practices, and traditions into their social studies curricula.

The Virginia State Board of Education approved the new History and Social Science Standards of Learning, allowing more than a million students in the state to learn about the Sikh community for the first time.

According to the Sikh Coalition, which collaborated with the state to develop the new standards, inclusive and accurate standards are important steps towards reducing bigotry and bullying and increasing cultural competency among students.

According to Harman Singh, senior education manager for the Sikh Coalition, the change comes after more than two years of engagement with the local Sikh community and will ensure that Sikhism is taught in classrooms across Virginia.

While the Sikh Coalition applauded the new standards, it also pointed out that there were serious and well-documented flaws, and that many communities were not adequately represented. The organization promised to keep fighting for all groups whose histories should be taught correctly.

Sikhism is one of the world's largest religions, and its adherents have made significant contributions to American society in fields such as civil rights, politics, agriculture, engineering, and medicine for over 125 years.