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Education & Youth

The state will be updating its history and social studies curriculum. Students typically learn about Chávez in fourth, ninth and eleventh grade.

Teaching Complex Historical Figures

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<a href="https://calmatters.org/author/carolyn-jones/" title="Posts by Carolyn Jones" class="author url fn" rel="author">Carolyn Jones</a> | <a href="https://calmatters.org">CalMatters</a> Mar. 19, 2026
			
			This story was originally published by <a href="https://calmatters.org/">CalMatters</a>. <a href="https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/">Sign up</a> for their newsletters.
César Chávez is woven throughout California’s social studies curriculum — as a labor leader, civil rights hero and practitioner of nonviolent protest.

That’s about to change.

State education officials on Wednesday urged teachers to minimize the role of Chávez when teaching about the farm labor movement. The labor rights icon and namesake of at least 43 schools in California, Chávez <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/us/cesar-chavez-sexual-abuse-allegations-ufw.html">was accused</a> Wednesday of a long pattern of sexually abusing women and girls.

“The civil rights struggle of farm workers and immigrant communities is larger than one person and continues to be highly relevant today,” said Elizabeth Sanders, spokeswoman for the California Department of Education. “We stand with survivors of violence, including and especially gender-based violence, which has no place in our society.”

The state will also be updating its history and social studies <a href="https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/hs/cf/documents/hssframeworkwhole.pdf">curriculum</a>, an 800-page document that details lesson topics for all K-12 public school students. Students typically learn about Chávez in fourth, ninth and eleventh grade, according to state guidelines, often as a role model and important figure in history. He’s also covered in ethnic studies courses.

School districts have latitude as to how to teach particular topics, and districts across California on Wednesday were mulling how to approach the new information about Chávez, who died in 1993. With César Chávez Day approaching March 31, countless teachers are now rewriting their lesson plans.

Los Angeles Unified, the state’s largest district, said it was going to review its curriculum related to Chávez. Latino students make up nearly 75% of the district enrollment.

“(The district wants) to ensure the emphasis remains on the important work of the farmworker movement, not on any one individual,” said district spokesman Britt Vaughan. “It is important to recognize the collective work of thousands who have advanced social justice, labor rights, and community empowerment.”

<h2>‘We need to pause’</h2>

James Aguilar, a social studies teacher at San Lorenzo High in Alameda County, said he discussed the news with his students on Wednesday. Like him, they were shocked. The students had a lot of questions, but mostly they just wanted to talk about their emotions. Most had grown up revering Chávez.&nbsp;

Aguilar was straightforward with them.

“I feel very personally about this issue,” Aguilar said. “I believe survivors, and that’s where I lean.” 

This is not the first time he’s had to rethink curriculum based on new allegations about historical figures. Social studies happens in real time, and the historical record constantly evolves, he said.

“I’ve known César Chávez as nothing but a hero, an essential leader in the union movement,” said Aguilar, who’s active in his local teachers union. “We don’t want to invalidate his work, but we need to pause. There are people who’ve done good things for our country but have not-so-great records in other aspects of their lives. We just need to acknowledge that.”

<h2>A complicated legacy</h2>

Finding that balance will be tough — but essential — for social studies teachers, especially as they prepare to commemorate César Chávez Day, said Morgan Polikoff, an education professor at the University of Southern California.

Teachers should also consider the age of their students, and what’s an appropriate topic for classroom discussions, he said. Guidance from the state and districts should help teachers know how to approach the topic in a way that acknowledges the allegations but doesn’t detract from the farm workers’ movement generally.

“There are a lot of historical figures who are deeply problematic,” Polikoff said. “The real challenge is to find a way to teach about them that doesn’t ignore the allegations but reflects the complexities of their legacy.”&nbsp;
This article was <a href="https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/03/cesar-chavez-curriculum/">originally published on CalMatters</a> and was republished under the <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives</a> license.

CA Schools Move to Minimize César Chávez’s Role in Civil Rights Movement: ‘We Stand With Survivors of Violence’

The federal lawsuits argue Texas officials are engaging in religious discrimination by preventing Islamic private schools from accessing state voucher money.

Equal Treatment for Religious Schools in Voucher Programs

Muslim Parents, Private Schools Sue Texas Over Exclusion of Islamic Institutions in Voucher Program

The court blocked California’s policy barring school districts from requiring teachers to “out” transgender students to their parents, unless the students gave permission.

Protecting Transgender Students’ Privacy and Safety in Our Schools

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<a href="https://calmatters.org/author/carolyn-jones/" title="Posts by Carolyn Jones" class="author url fn" rel="author">Carolyn Jones</a> | <a href="https://calmatters.org">CalMatters</a> Mar. 4, 2026


This story was originally published by <a href="https://calmatters.org/">CalMatters</a>. <a href="https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/">Sign up</a> for their newsletters.
Advocates for transgender youth vowed to keep fighting Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked — at least temporarily — a California policy protecting the privacy of transgender students in K-12 schools.

The court ruled in favor of a group of parents near San Diego who argued that the state’s policy violates their right to religious freedom and due process. The policy barred school districts from requiring teachers to “out” transgender students to their parents, unless the students gave permission.

“The court’s ruling is shocking and alarming,” said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, which is based in Sacramento. “It’s part of a larger effort by this court and the administration to eliminate any protection for transgender people.”

The case was originally filed in 2023 by the Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm that focuses on religious issues. It stems from a state policy related to students’ privacy rights.&nbsp;

A federal district court judge initially ruled in favor of the parents with children in the Escondido Union School District in north San Diego County, and then the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals paused the ruling while the state prepared an appeal. The parents asked the Supreme Court to lift the pause, which it did on Tuesday. The appeal is still pending before the Ninth Circuit.

<h2>‘A watershed moment’</h2>

Attorneys for the Thomas More Society called it the greatest victory for parental rights in a generation.

“This is a watershed moment for parental rights in America,” said Paul Jonna, special counsel at the Thomas More Society. “The Supreme Court has told California and every state in the nation in no uncertain terms: you cannot secretly transition a child behind a parent’s back.”

The ruling undermines California’s <a href="https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr24/yr24rel37.asp">Safety Act</a>, which bars school districts from adopting “forced outing” policies and was hailed as a major victory for transgender rights when Newsom signed it in 2024.&nbsp;

Sonja Shaw, president of the Chino Valley Unified school board, described the Supreme Court’s ruling as “a massive victory.” Chino Valley was among a handful of districts in 2023 that enacted policies requiring teachers to divulge to parents if a student changes their gender identity.&nbsp;

“The Supreme Court has affirmed what we’ve always known to be true: policies deceiving parents are wrong, and they can not be allowed to stand,” said Shaw, a candidate for state superintendent of public instruction. “This win came from brave teachers and parents who refused to stay silent.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta acknowledged the ruling was a setback.

“We are disappointed with the Supreme Court’s decision,” Jordan Blue, a spokesperson for Bonta, said. “We remain committed to ensuring a safe, welcoming school environment for all students while respecting the crucial role parents play in students’ lives.”

California has been on the <a href="https://calmatters.org/education/2026/01/trans-students-california/">forefront of transgender rights</a>, especially for young people. The state has existing laws requiring teachers to use students’ preferred pronouns; schools are required to offer gender-neutral bathrooms; and sports teams and clubs must be open to all students. Those policies remain in place.

Still, this week’s ruling was significant, said Jorge Reyes Salinas, spokesperson for Equality California, the state’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization.&nbsp;

“Everyone is heartbroken,” Reyes Salinas said. “Although it’s not surprising. It’s just a continuation of the vile attacks we’ve seen on transgender youth. It’s even more important now that California strengthens its laws protecting trans people.”

Minter, at the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, said that the ruling may have a narrow focus, but it sends a chilling message to transgender young people, who already face higher rates of anxiety and depression than their peers.

Minter said the transgender community will continue fighting for their rights.

“Most people in this country do not support what’s happening to transgender people,” Minter said. “We will fight every inch of the way until all people are treated with the basic decency they deserve.”
This article was <a href="https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/03/trans-students-california-2/">originally published on CalMatters</a> and was republished under the <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives</a> license.

‘Shocking’: What Supreme Court Ruling on Transgender Policy Means for California Students

Mysterious spike in misery among 18-22 year-old workers

Young, Employed — and Unhappy

As countries from Europe to Asia weigh similar laws, Australia’s under-16 social media ban has become a global test case for protecting children online.

Protecting Children from Harmful Social Media Algorithms

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 <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-m-given-98984">Lisa M. Given</a> | <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> Dec. 9, 2025

 After months of anticipation and debate, Australia’s social media ban is now in force. 

Young Australians under 16 must now come to grips with the new reality of being unable to have an account on some social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. 

Only time will tell whether this bold, world-first experiment will succeed. Despite this, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-08/how-europe-may-follow-australias-teen-social-media-ban/106035946">many countries</a> are already considering following Australia’s lead. 

But there are other jurisdictions that are taking a different approach to try and keep young people safe online. 

Here’s what’s happening overseas. 



<h2>A global movement</h2>

In November, the European parliament called for a similar social media ban for under 16s. 

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said she has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/26/social-media-ban-under-16s-european-parliament-resolution">studying Australia’s restrictions</a> and how they address what she described as “algorithms that prey on children’s vulnerabilities”, leaving parents feeling powerless against “the tsunami of big tech flooding their homes”. 

In October, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-parliament-debate-teen-social-media-ban-2025-10-23/">New Zealand announced</a> it would introduce similar legislation to Australia’s, following the work of a parliamentary committee to examine how best to address harm on social media platforms. The committee’s report will be released in early 2026.

<a href="https://gulfnews.com/special-reports/from-december-10-australias-social-media-ban-for-kids-what-pakistan-denmark-norway-spain-japan-and-others-are-doing-1.500354878">Pakistan and India</a> are aiming to reduce children’s exposure to harmful content by introducing rules requiring parental consent and age verification for platform access, alongside content moderation expectations for tech companies.

<a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/social-media-ban-malaysia-to-ban-social-media-for-children-under-16-next-year/d0b5d54c-f986-49b1-a480-3e42f23fcc9b">Malaysia has announced</a> it will ban children under 16 from social media starting in 2026. This follows the country requiring social media and messaging platforms with eight million or more users to obtain licenses to operate, and use age verification and content-safety measures from January 2025. 

<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crkjep23403o">France is also considering</a> a social media ban for children under 15 and a 10pm to 8am curfew for platform use for 15- to 18-year-olds. These are among 43 recommendations made by a French inquiry in September 2025, which also recommended banning smartphones in schools, and implementing a crime of “digital negligence for parents who fail to protect their children”.

While France introduced a <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/clyd1dvrll1o">requirement in 2023</a> that platforms obtain parental consent for children under 15 to create social media accounts, it has yet to be enforced. This is also the case in Germany. There, children aged between 13 and 16 can only access platforms with parental consent, but without formal checks in place. 

And, in Spain, the minimum age for social media accounts <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/clyd1dvrll1o.amp">will rise from 14 to 16</a>, unless parents provide consent.

Norway announced plans in July to restrict access to social media for under 15s. The <a href="https://www.regjeringen.no/en/whats-new/norway-moves-forward-with-age-limit-for-social-media/id3108682/">government explained</a> the law would be “designed in accordance with children’s fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, access to information, and the right to association”. 

In November, <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/denmark-follows-youth-social-media-ban/lkxhu8y02">Denmark announced</a> it would “ban access to social media for anyone under 15”. However, unlike Australia’s legislation, parents can override the rules to enable 13- and 14-year-olds to retain platform access. Yet there is no date for implementation, with <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/clyd1dvrll1o#:%7E:text=Denmark,14%2Dyear%2Dolds%20access.">lawmakers expected to take months</a> to pass the legislation.

It’s also unclear how Denmark’s ban will be enforced. But the country does have a national digital ID program that may be used. 

In July, Denmark was named as part of a pilot program (with Greece, France, Spain, and Italy) to trial an <a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-makes-available-age-verification-blueprint">age verification app</a> that could be launched across the European Union for use by adult content sites and other digital providers.



<h2>Some pushback</h2>

The implementation of similar restrictions is not being taken up everywhere. 

For example, South Korea has <a href="https://studyinternational.com/news/countries-social-media-ban-children/">decided against</a> a social media ban for children. But it will ban the use of mobile phones and other devices in classrooms starting in March 2026.

In the city of Toyoake (south-west of Tokyo, Japan), a very different solution has been proposed. The city’s mayor, Masafumi Koki, issued an ordinance in October, limiting the use of smartphones, tablets, and computers to two hours per day for people of all ages. 

Koki is aware of Australia’s social media restrictions. But as he <a href="https://www.afr.com/world/asia/this-japanese-mayor-has-solid-advice-on-australia-s-social-media-ban-20251204-p5nkyg">explained</a>: If adults are not held to the same standards, children will not accept the rules.

While the ordinance has <a href="https://www.afr.com/world/asia/this-japanese-mayor-has-solid-advice-on-australia-s-social-media-ban-20251204-p5nkyg">faced backlash</a>, and is non-binding, it <a href="https://www.afr.com/world/asia/this-japanese-mayor-has-solid-advice-on-australia-s-social-media-ban-20251204-p5nkyg">prompted</a> 40% of residents to reflect on their behaviour, with 10% reducing their time on smartphones.

In the United States, the opposition to Australia’s social media restrictions has been extremely vocal and significant. 

American media and technology companies have urged President Donald Trump to <a href="https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/trump-urged-to-punish-australia-over-social-media-ban-digital-rules-20251120-p5ngz0">“reprimand” Australia</a> over its legislation. They argue American companies are being unfairly targeted and have lodged formal complaints with the Office of US Trade.

<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnv2z059745o">President Trump has stated</a> he would stand up to any countries that “attacked” American technology companies. The US recently called eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c24l4z73g14o">testify in front of Congress</a>. US Republican Jim Jordan claimed her enforcement of Australia’s Online Safety Act “imposes obligations on American companies and threatens speech of American citizens”, which Inman-Grant <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/03/australia-esafety-commissioner-julie-inman-grant-online-safey-act-jim-jordan">strongly denied</a>. 

<h2>The world will keep watching</h2>

While much of the world seems united in concern about the harmful content and algorithmic features children experience on social media, only one thing is clear – there is no silver bullet for addressing these harms. 

There is no agreed set of restrictions, or specific age at which legislators agree children should have unrestricted access to these platforms. 

Many countries outside Australia are empowering parents to provide access, if they believe it is right for their children. And many countries are considering how best to enforce restrictions, if they implement similar rules. 

As experts point to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-government-says-social-media-age-checks-can-be-done-despite-errors-and-privacy-risks-264257">technical challenges</a> in enforcing Australia’s restrictions, and as young Australians consider <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507241-how-australian-teens-are-planning-to-get-around-their-social-media-ban/">workarounds</a> to maintain their accounts or find <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/04/under-16s-are-already-fleeing-to-apps-not-covered-by-australias-social-media-ban-heres-where-theyre-going">new platforms</a> to use, other countries will continue to watch and plan their next moves.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/271407/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" />

 <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-m-given-98984">Lisa M. Given</a>, Professor of Information Sciences & Director, Social Change Enabling Impact Platform, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>

 This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-social-media-ban-is-now-in-force-other-countries-are-closely-watching-what-happens-271407">original article</a>.
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