AP, AUSTIN, Texas
Texas’ education board on Friday voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools, joining other Republican-led US states that pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms.
The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by elected Republicans, is optional for schools to adopt, but they would receive additional funding if they do so. The materials could appear in classrooms as early as next school year.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has voiced support for the lesson plans, which were provided by the state’s education agency that oversees the more than 5 million students in public schools.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks at a news conference in Austin, Texas, on June 8, 2021.
Photo: AP
Parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum said the lessons would alienate students of other faith backgrounds.
Supporters argued the Bible is a core feature of US history and that teaching it would enrich students’ learning.
The new Texas curriculum follows Republican-led efforts in neighboring states to give religion more of a presence in public schools. In Oklahoma, the state’s education chief has ordered a copy of the Bible in every classroom, while Louisiana wants to make all of the state’s public school classrooms post the Ten Commandments beginning next year.
With the new curriculum, Texas would be the first state to introduce Bible lessons in schools in this manner, said Matthew Patrick Shaw, an assistant professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University.
The Texas Education Agency, which oversees public education, created its own instruction materials after a law passed last year by the Republican-controlled legislature required the agency to do so. The lesson plans were publicly released this spring.
The material draws on lessons from Christianity more than any other religion in the proposed reading and language arts modules for kindergarten through fifth grade, which critics say would alienate students from different faith backgrounds and potentially violate the first amendment of the US Constitution.
“This curriculum is not age-appropriate or subject matter appropriate in the way that it presents these Bible stories,” Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty executive director Amanda Tyler said.
Children who would read the material, “are simply too young to tell the difference between what is a faith claim and what is a matter of fact,” she said.
More than 100 people testified at a board meeting this week that rung with emotion from parents, teachers and advocates.
“It is said that there are close to 300 common-day phrases that actually come from the Bible,” said Mary Castle, director of government relations for Texas Values, a right-leaning advocacy group. “So, students will benefit from being able to understand a lot of these references that are in literature and have a way to be able to comprehend them.”
The 15-member board consists of 11 Republicans and four Democrats. It signaled support for the materials in an eight to seven preliminary vote on Wednesday.
One of the board members is a Republican who was appointed to the board just weeks ago by Abbott to temporarily fill a vacant seat. Days after that appointment, a Democrat who ran unopposed was elected to fill that same board seat starting next year.
Abbott has publicly supported the instruction materials.
Whether the lesson plans would be considered constitutional is up in the air if the curriculum passes, Shaw said.
“The question is how is Texas going to frame what is done here to avoid the establishment question or tackle it head-on,” he said.
