No California law requiring students learn Arabic numbers

SACREMENTO, Calif. – There is no law in California requiring students to use Arabic numbers in schools — because they already do.

A post by the Last Line of Defense claimed Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a requirement that students learn Arabic numerals. But California students, like others around the world, already use the Hindu-Arabic numeral system.

Brown's deputy press secretary Brian Ferguson says the post serves to "stoke fear and misinformation."

Ferguson says California encourages young people to study Hindu-Arabic numerals — "or as we call them, 'numbers.''"

The photo the conservative site shared of Brown speaking at a bill-signing ceremony was from a July event in San Francisco about climate change.

___

This is part of The Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.