The New York State Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH, the oldest and largest Irish Catholic organization in the US) has passed a resolution highlighting what it says are "significant failures in the enforcement of education requirements concerning the Great Hunger, also known as the Irish Famine, despite clear legal mandates."
The AOH said in a statement on May 29: "Despite being part of the New York State required curriculum since 1996, there has been a lack of enforcement in teaching about the Great Hunger.
"Repeated Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests have failed to produce any New York State Education Department records showing that they are monitoring or assessing instruction on this vital topic.
"The AOH's resolution demands a thorough review and increased transparency in the enforcement of these educational standards."
The statement from the New York State AOH continued: "The Great Hunger, also known as the Irish Potato Famine, was one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies in history. British colonial policy had reduced over one-third of Ireland's population to being solely dependent on the potato for basic sustenance.
"When a blight infected and destroyed the potato crop between the years 1845 to 1852, British indifference, intolerance, and incompetence transformed an ecological disaster into a humanitarian calamity in which Ireland lost a quarter of its population, with over one million people dying and another million forced to emigrate, the majority to America.
"It triggered America's first refugee crisis."
The AOH statement further said: "New York Consolidated Laws, Education Law - EDN § 801 requires that courses in the inhumanity of genocide, slavery, the Holocaust, and the mass starvation in Ireland from 1845 to 1850 be maintained and followed in all schools.
"This law further states, 'The commissioner shall be responsible for the enforcement of such section and shall cause to be inspected and supervise the instruction to be given in such subjects.'
"Following multiple unsuccessful FOIA requests revealing an absence of documentation or evidence of active supervision by the New York State Education Department, the AOH has formally called upon the Governor of New York to ensure accountability and compliance with Section 801 of the New York State Education Law.
"The AOH Resolution calls for NY Governor Hochul to conduct a thorough review of the New York State Education Department's compliance with Section 801 of the New York State Education Law concerning the instruction of the Great Hunger while demanding increased transparency from the New York State Education Department regarding its enforcement actions regarding New York Consolidated Laws, Education Law - EDN § 801, to ensure accountability and public trust in the educational system."
Neil Cosgrove, AOH Political Education Chair, emphasized: "The historical significance of the Great Hunger and its lessons on human rights and immigration cannot be more relevant given current events.
"The apparent disregard by the Education Department to adequately enforce and document compliance with NY state law is alarming.
"Our resolution insists on the rigorous implementation of Section 801 of the New York Consolidated Laws, Education Law, not only in regard to the Great Hunger in Ireland but in all topics therein, to foster a well-informed future generation as was the intent of the people's elected representatives when the law was passed."
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