By a slim vote on Friday, the Texas Board of Education approved the use the Bible in elementary school curricula.
Although schools are not required to use the curriculum approved by the Texas State Board of Education, which is run by elected Republicans, they will be compensated more if they do. As early as the following academic year, the materials might be used in classrooms.
The lesson plans, which were supplied by the state education agency that is in charge of the more than 5 million children in Texas public schools, have received backing from Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
8–7 was the vote’s outcome.
At Friday’s session, Staci Childs, a Democrat lawyer who voted against the Bible curriculum, said she thinks it will be challenged in court.
Therefore, based on those factors alone, I think a parent or teacher who didn’t feel comfortable teaching this would succeed if they brought it up in court,” she added. “And in my good conscience, in protecting my bar license, I just do not feel that these materials are yet reflective of the experiences and the nuance of Texas students.”
The new Texas curriculum is in line with Republican-led initiatives to increase the role of religion in public education in nearby states. Louisiana wants to post the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms starting next year, while Oklahoma’s education chief has mandated that every classroom have a copy of the Bible.
Matthew Patrick Shaw, an assistant professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University, said the new curriculum would make Texas the first state to implement Bible instruction in schools in this way.
The GOP-controlled Legislature approved a bill in 2023 requiring the Texas Education Agency, which is in charge of statewide public education, to develop its own instructional materials. This spring, the lesson plans were made available to the general public.
The proposed reading and language arts modules for kindergarten through fifth grade mostly include Christian lessons, which critics claim would alienate pupils from diverse religious backgrounds and perhaps violate the First Amendment.
At a board hearing this week, over 100 witnesses gave moving testimonies from advocates, educators, and parents. The Bible is a key aspect of American history, according to curriculum proponents, and teaching it to kids will enhance their education.
According to Mary Castle, director of government relations for Texas Values, a right-leaning advocacy group, there are about 300 everyday expressions that are truly taken from the Bible. Students will therefore gain from being able to comprehend many of these literary allusions and having a method for doing so.
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