(WMAR) — Anne Arundel County just changed its graduation requirements for students starting high school next year.
The new class is called Global Community Citizenship. It will be required for all ninth grade students as they begin high school.
Arundel High school has had this class for the last two years, roughly 750 Arundel students have taken the course. Even though it passed unanimously, there was some concern on both sides of the issue from board members.
"We need to move forward with with this and we need to be a model for our students," said a school board member.
The new class will open up discussions with students about diversity, acceptance and inclusion.
"The entire point of this class is to bring students of different backgrounds, experiences, and views together to have productive discussion. We need a balance of kids with different perspectives to engage in conversations in these classes in order for them to be meaningful," said an administrator at the board meeting.
Not all those who testified in front of the board were in favor of this requirement.
"It's something I'm not comfortable with this class isn't ready for prime time, we are discussing situations that I can't bring up to you the students are so upset with this class," said an advocate at the meeting.
County school officials say this will began next year and will involve current eighth grade students as they start their high school curriculum next year in the fall.
