H. B. 4545
(By Delegates Modesitt (By Request) and Azinger (By Request))
[Introduced February 15, 2000; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section nine, article two, chapter
eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to requiring a course
of instruction in basic computer functions and applications
and practical keyboarding.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section nine, article two, chapter eighteen of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-2-9. Required courses of instruction; violation and penalty.
(a) In all public, private, parochial and denominational schools located within this state there shall be given prior to the
completion of the eighth grade at least one year of instruction in
the history of the state of West Virginia. Such schools shall
require regular courses of instruction by the completion of the
twelfth grade in the history of the United States, in civics, in
the constitution of the United States, and in the government of the
state of West Virginia for the purpose of teaching, fostering and
perpetuating the ideals, principles and spirit of political and
economic democracy in America and increasing the knowledge of the
organization and machinery of the government of the United States
and of the state of West Virginia. The state board of education
shall, with the advice of the state superintendent of schools,
prescribe the courses of study covering these subjects for the
public schools. It shall be the duty of the officials or boards
having authority over the respective private, parochial and
denominational schools to prescribe courses of study for the
schools under their control and supervision similar to those
required for the public schools. To further such study, every high
school student eligible by age for voter registration shall be
afforded the opportunity to register to vote pursuant to section
twenty-two, article two, chapter three of this code.
(b) The state board of education shall cause to be taught in
all of the public schools of this state the subject of health
education, including instruction in any of the grades six through
twelve as deemed appropriate by the county board, on (1) the
prevention, transmission and spread of acquired immune deficiency
syndrome and other sexually transmitted diseases and (2) substance
abuse, including the nature of alcoholic drinks and narcotics,
tobacco products, and other potentially harmful drugs, with special
instruction as to their effect upon the human system and upon
society in general. The course curriculum requirements and
materials for such instruction shall be adopted by the state board
by rule in consultation with the department of health.
An opportunity shall be afforded to the parent or guardian of
a child subject to instruction in the prevention, transmission and
spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome and other sexually
transmitted diseases to examine the course curriculum requirements
and materials to be used in such instruction. The parent or
guardian may exempt such child from participation in such
instruction by giving notice to that effect in writing to the
school principal.
(c) The state board of education shall cause to be taught in all of the public schools of this state at least one year of
instruction in each of the subjects of basic computer knowledge,
computer applications and skill in practical keyboarding, for the
purpose of preparing each student for entry into a world where
every person, in order to adapt to rapid changes in technology,
will need at least some rudimentary knowledge and skills relative
to those subjects.
(c) (d) Any person violating the provisions of this section
shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be fined not exceeding ten dollars for each violation, and
each week during which there is a violation shall constitute a
separate offense. If the person so convicted occupy a position in
connection with the public schools, that person shall
automatically be removed from such position and shall be ineligible
for reappointment to that or a similar position for the period of
one year.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to assure that every student
that graduates from a state high school will have a basic computer
knowledge and word processing skills.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.