New York: In a significant victory for educational accuracy and religious representation, the Sikh Coalition announced today that it has successfully collaborated with textbook publisher Perfection Learning to revise the representation of Sikhi in a widely used Advanced Placement (AP) history textbook. The corrections, which will appear in the Spring 2026 reprint of AMSCO Advanced Placement World History Modern [1200-Present], are the direct result of a grassroots initiative sparked by a high school student in Michigan.

The Catalyst for Change

The initiative began in late 2025 when a Sikh high school student in Michigan identified critical inaccuracies in his AP World History curriculum. The student noted that the AMSCO textbook repeatedly characterized Sikhi as merely a “blend of Hinduism and Islam”—a long-standing historical misconception known as syncretism, which scholars of religion have largely rejected. Furthermore, the text lacked substantive detail regarding the distinct theology, history, and contributions of the Sikh faith.

Frustrated by the minimization of his faith, the student contacted the Sikh Coalition, the nation’s largest Sikh civil rights organization, to seek recourse.

Expert Collaboration and Review

Upon receiving the student’s report, the Sikh Coalition’s education team launched a comprehensive review of the textbook’s language. To ensure the highest standard of academic rigor, the Coalition convened a panel of experts, including AP World History teachers and Harpreet Singh, the Sikh Coalition’s Co-Executive Board Chair and a Scholar of Sikh Studies at Harvard University.

The team drafted detailed proposals for comprehensive revisions, aiming to present Sikhi not as a derivative sect, but as the world’s fifth-largest independent organized religion with its own unique sovereign identity.

Publisher’s Commitment to Accuracy

The editors at Perfection Learning responded positively to the outreach. Acknowledging the concerns raised by the Coalition, the publisher agreed to incorporate the proposed revisions. The updated language will effectively replace the inaccurate descriptions in the upcoming spring reprint, ensuring that thousands of future AP students receive a historically accurate education regarding the Sikh tradition.

Savleen Singh, Senior Education Manager at the Sikh Coalition, emphasized the broader implications of this correction.

“Perfection Learning’s AP World History textbook shapes how thousands of students understand the world, which means that inaccuracies have consequences,” said Singh. “For decades, Sikhi has been minimized, mischaracterized, or treated as an afterthought in classroom materials… Correcting this is not about preference, but instead about truth and educational integrity.”

A Broader Movement for Educational Justice

This victory is part of the Sikh Coalition’s ongoing, multi-year campaign to ensure accurate and constitutionally appropriate teaching of Sikhi in American schools. The organization posits that inclusive and accurate education is a primary preventive measure against bias-based bullying, which disproportionately affects Sikh youth.

The Coalition continues to work with state boards of education to include Sikhi in social studies standards and encourages community members to remain vigilant regarding the materials used in their local classrooms.

Key Takeaways

• The Issue: The textbook AMSCO AP World History Modern incorrectly defined Sikhi as a blend of Hinduism and Islam.

• The Action: A Michigan high school student flagged the error to the Sikh Coalition in late 2025.

• The Solution: The Sikh Coalition, aided by Harvard scholar Harpreet Singh, provided academic revisions which Perfection Learning accepted.

• The Outcome: Accurate language will be included in the Spring 2026 reprint.