Bible-based classes are allowed in Texas elementary schools and could be implemented as early as 2025.
Texas State Board of Education voted 8-7 Friday to allow curriculum in classrooms, NBC News reported.
The article states, “The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by elected Republicans, is optional for schools to implement, but they will receive additional funding if they do. ”.
The NBC article continued:
The Texas Education Agency, which oversees public education for students across the state, created the guidance materials after a law passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2023 required the agency to do so. The lesson plans were released this spring.
Texas has more than 5 million public school students, according to the Associated Press. reported on friday. Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) said the vote was “an important step forward in getting students back to the basics of education and providing the best education in the nation,” according to the paper. .
The AP report also details some study materials.
In newly approved kindergarten materials, one lesson on helping your neighbor instructs teachers to use a Bible lesson to talk about the Golden Rule. It also instructs teachers to explain that the Bible is a “collection of ancient texts” and its various parts are “the core book of the Judeo-Christian religions.”
This material teaches teachers about how Governor Plymouth prayed and gave a speech that included references to “several passages from the Psalms of the Christian Bible” in a third-grade class on the first Thanksgiving. I'm asking you to talk. Teachers are then instructed to tell students that the Psalms are a collection of songs, poems, and hymns “used in both Jewish and Christian worship.”
According to Breitbart News, Oklahoma recently began requiring schools to teach the Bible, including the Ten Commandments, to students in grades 5 through 12.
Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said in a memo to all school districts:
The Bible is one of the most historically important books and, along with the Ten Commandments, is the foundation of Western civilization. They will be referenced as pertinent studies of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, etc., and as a substantial influence on the fundamental principles of our nation's Founders and Constitution. This is more than just educational instruction; it is an important step in ensuring that students understand our nation's core values and historical context.
A federal judge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on November 12 slammed a state law requiring Ten Commandments posters in public school classrooms, calling it “unconstitutional” and ordering authorities not to enforce it. Associated Press reported.
However, the media continued that this decision will be appealed. “Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill said she disagrees with the ruling and said her office will ask the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to immediately place the ruling pending appeal.”
