Temperance and Good Citizenship Day
Temperance and Good Citizenship Day
Temperance and Good Citizenship Day
Observed Wednesday, January 16, 2019
RCW 28A.230.150
The law states that on January 16 of each year (or the preceding Friday when January 16 falls on a non-school day) each public school will observe Temperance and Good Citizenship Day.
The original language of the 1923 Washington state law included specific language regarding education of the effects of alcohol and drug use. However this language was removed when the law was revised in 1969. While many interpret “temperance” to mean prohibition, as defined above, instruction on “temperance” may include information about prohibition, but it is not a specific requirement of the law. The 2013 Legislature added the expectation that on Temperance and Good Citizenship Day public schools provide opportunities for eligible students to register to vote.
Many school districts recognize this day by discussing temperance in connection with good citizenship, specifically addressing self-restraint. This idea of self-restraint is closely tied with many of the activities associated with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. For example, a district may choose to discuss the accomplishments of peaceful, non-violent protests in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. With the 2013 addition, schools are asked to provide eligible students with the opportunity to register to vote.
Observed Wednesday, January 16, 2019
RCW 28A.230.150
The law states that on January 16 of each year (or the preceding Friday when January 16 falls on a non-school day) each public school will observe Temperance and Good Citizenship Day.
The original language of the 1923 Washington state law included specific language regarding education of the effects of alcohol and drug use. However this language was removed when the law was revised in 1969. While many interpret “temperance” to mean prohibition, as defined above, instruction on “temperance” may include information about prohibition, but it is not a specific requirement of the law. The 2013 Legislature added the expectation that on Temperance and Good Citizenship Day public schools provide opportunities for eligible students to register to vote.
Many school districts recognize this day by discussing temperance in connection with good citizenship, specifically addressing self-restraint. This idea of self-restraint is closely tied with many of the activities associated with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. For example, a district may choose to discuss the accomplishments of peaceful, non-violent protests in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. With the 2013 addition, schools are asked to provide eligible students with the opportunity to register to vote.