(1) The General Assembly finds and declares that: The National FFA Organization, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc., and 4-H programs in the state involve an education and learning process that is not otherwise available in the regular curriculum of secondary education in Arkansas;
(2) The principles and practices learned by school students in the National FFA Organization, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc., and 4-H programs are highly beneficial to students;
(3) Participation in such programs should be encouraged; and
(4) A method of encouraging participation in such programs is to grant additional excused absences to students who participate in officially sanctioned activities of those organizations.
(5) Therefore, it is the purpose and intent of this section to assure that class absences of students who are participating in sanctioned National FFA Organization, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc., and 4-H activities are excused to such extent as may be determined by the boards of directors of the respective districts, with the participants in the three (3) programs being treated equally with respect to such absences.
(6) Any school district that grants additional excused absences of National FFA Organization member students who attend officially sanctioned National FFA Organization activities shall afford equal treatment to Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Inc. and 4-H member students who attend the same or similar officially sanctioned activities.