In a recent development, Florida's public university administrators made a major move by removing sociology as a required course, affecting more than 430,000 students enrolled in the state's 12 university campuses.
Despite widespread support from professors, alumni, and students, this move is part of a broader trend of changes in Florida's educational landscape. The state has been at the center of debates on course content related to race, racism, history, sexual orientation, and gender identity, both in K-12 and higher education settings, as per reports from The Washington Post.
According to The Washington Post, Florida has witnessed several controversies over what some perceive as "woke" courses aligned with left-leaning ideologies. The battles have extended from K-12 to higher education.
Additionally, Florida refused to approve a new Advanced Placement class focused on Black history, claiming it lacked educational merit and went against state regulations last year. Governor DeSantis denounced the course as being woke. The state also turned down several textbooks for supposedly mentioning forbidden topics, such as critical race theory.
In August, Florida initially disallowed all AP Psychology classes due to new restrictive education laws, although the decision was later reversed after days of confusion, stated The Washington Post. Governor DeSantis even threatened to eliminate all AP classes in the state, expressing frustration with courses he deemed politically biased.
The proposal to remove sociology as a core course option was initially suggested in November. Following a two-week public comment period, the Florida Board of Governors voted to approve the change this week.
