GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

S	1 

SENATE BILL 609

Short Title:  Nonacademic Courses/BEP.	(Public)
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senators Kincaid; Simpson, Chalk, Carpenter, and Hardin.
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Education.
─────────────────────────────────────── 

March 23, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROHIBIT INSTRUCTION IN NONACADEMIC SUBJECT AREAS WHICH ALTERS OR INTERFERES WITH THE SCHEDULING AND INSTRUCTION OF ACADEMIC SUBJECT AREAS IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 115C-81(a1) reads as rewritten: 
"(a1)	The Basic Education Program shall describe the education program to be offered to every child in the public schools. It shall provide every student in the State equal access to a Basic Education Program. Instruction shall be offered in the areas of arts, communication skills, physical education and personal health and safety, mathematics, media and computer skills, science, second languages, social studies, and vocational education; provided, however, that in the elementary school grades, instruction time in academic subject areas may not be altered, shortened, or otherwise interfered with by the scheduling of or instruction in nonacademic subjects areas. For purposes of this subsection, ‘academic subject areas' means the subject areas of mathematics, science, communication skills, and social studies."
Section 2. G.S. 115C-81(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	Local boards of education shall provide for the efficient teaching at appropriate grade levels of all materials set forth in the standard course of study, including integrated instruction in the areas of citizenship in the United States of America, government of the State of North Carolina, government of the United States, fire prevention, the free enterprise system, and the dangers of harmful or illegal drugs, including alcohol, and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the Heimlich maneuver; however, in the elementary school grades, local boards of education may not offer instruction in nonacademic subject areas the scheduling of which alters, shortens, or otherwise interferes with instruction time or scheduling of classes in academic subject areas. For purposes of this subsection, ‘academic subject areas' means the subject areas of mathematics, science, communication skills, and social studies.
Local boards of education shall require all teachers and principals to conduct classes except foreign language classes in English. Any teacher or principal who refuses to do so may be dismissed."
Sec. 3. Effective when the components of the standard course of study have been fully incorporated and implemented as part of the Basic Education Program, G.S. 115C-81(c) reads as rewritten:
	"(c) Local boards of education shall provide for the efficient teaching at appropriate grade levels of all materials set forth in the Basic Education Program, including integrated instruction in the areas of citizenship in the United States of America, government of the State of North Carolina, government of the United States, fire prevention, the free enterprise system, the dangers of harmful or illegal drugs, including alcohol, and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the Heimlich maneuver; however, in the elementary school grades, local boards of education may not offer instruction in nonacademic subject areas the scheduling of which alters, shortens, or otherwise interferes with instruction time or scheduling of classes in academic subject areas.  For purposes of this subsection, ‘academic subject areas' means the subject areas of mathematics, science, communication skills, and social studies.
Local boards of education shall require all teachers and principals to conduct classes except foreign language classes in English. Any teacher or principal who refuses to do so may be dismissed."
Sec. 4. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective upon ratification and applies to all school years beginning with the 1989-90 school year.