A new law has mandated schools across the New York City to observe a brief moment of silence each year to mark the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The law, approved by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday, is intended to "encourage dialogue and education in the classroom" among students, especially those who weren't alive during the 2001 terror attacks that targeted the World Trade Center's twin towers and killed more than 3,000 people, marking one of the worst terror attacks on American soil.
"9/11 was one of the single darkest periods in this state's and this nation's history, and we owe it to those we lost and to the countless heroes who ran toward danger that day and the days that followed to do everything we can to keep their memory alive," the governor's office said in a statement cited by CNN.
"By establishing this annual day of remembrance and a brief moment of silence in public schools, we will help ensure we never forget -- not just the pain of that moment but of the courage, sacrifice and outpouring of love that defined our response," the statement added.
The new rule goes into effect immediately.
The law was sponsored in the legislature by State Senator Joseph Addabbo and Congresswoman Stacey Pheffer Amato.
Amato said that the students graduating currently from High School were just newborns when the September 11 attacks happened, and soon enough there will be no students in the schools born at the time of 9/11.
"By mandating a brief moment of silent reflection every year, we may ensure that future generations will better understand this day and its significance in our history," she was quoted as saying.
( With inputs from ANI )