A new law has taken effect in Connecticut requiring the state education board to develop curriculum materials on Islam and Arab studies for schools. Published on August 1, 2026, the report said the provision was added as a small part of a broader bill. The State Board of Education will provide the curriculum to local school boards and encourage schools to teach the subjects.

The curriculum will not be mandatory for schools to include in their programs. Schools that choose to offer the subjects may use the state-developed materials. Farhan Memon, chairman of the Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the law does not mean every school will teach Arabic or Islamic studies next year.

Connecticut already has provisions for developing similar curricula on African American and Black history, Puerto Rican and Latino studies, Native American studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander studies, and Holocaust and genocide awareness. Another provision in the same bill calls for a 15-member working group to address antisemitism in public schools and create guidance and support resources affecting students, families, teachers and school staff.