AUSTIN, Texas — On Tuesday, the Texas State Board of Education took a significant step towards implementing a new optional Bible-centric curriculum for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. This initiative is part of a broader movement led by Republican lawmakers in the U.S. aimed at increasing religious teachings in educational settings.
The board’s recent vote paves the way for the approval of the proposed “Bluebonnet” textbook, which sparked lengthy and passionate discussions among educators and parents at a meeting earlier this week. A final decision regarding the curriculum is anticipated during the board’s upcoming vote on Friday.
Developed by the Texas Education Agency, the proposed curriculum would introduce biblical lessons, including the Golden Rule and narratives from the Book of Genesis, into classrooms. While participation in this curriculum would be optional for schools, those that choose to adopt it would be eligible for additional funding.
During the Board of Education’s final meeting of the year on Monday, various stakeholders expressed their opinions about the plan. Many critics voiced concerns that the curriculum’s focus on Christian teachings might marginalize students from different faith backgrounds. Conversely, supporters argued that it would provide a comprehensive educational foundation for students.
One educator, Megan Tessler, emphasized that the proposed curriculum contradicts the fundamental mission of public education. “This curriculum fails to meet the standard of an honest, secular one,” Tessler remarked. “Public schools are meant to educate, not indoctrinate.”
Supporters, like Cindy Asmussen, argued for the necessity of such teachings. “Parents and teachers want a return to excellence,” she asserted, stating that biblical narratives have been integral to education for centuries, forming a cornerstone of classical learning.
However, religious scholars and representatives from the Texas Freedom Network, an organization that monitors state education policies, criticized the proposal for its overwhelming focus on Christian themes and its avoidance of topics like the history of slavery.
This program was initiated following the passage of a law earlier this year that tasked the Texas Education Agency with creating its own free educational materials. Republican Governor Greg Abbott has expressed his support for this new curriculum.
In addition to the proposed Bible curriculum, Republican lawmakers in Texas are considering measures to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, which they are likely to revisit in the upcoming legislative session.
Similar efforts to incorporate religious teachings into public school systems are being observed across the country, with many facing legal challenges. In Oklahoma, officials are attempting to integrate the Bible into lesson plans for students in grades five through twelve. However, a group of parents, teachers, and advocates has filed a lawsuit prohibiting the state’s education chief from advancing this initiative, which includes a request to block a $3 million expenditure for Bibles in support of the program.
In Louisiana, new legislation aimed at requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public classrooms was recently halted by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles ruled that the law had an “overtly religious” intent and dismissed state officials’ claims regarding the historical significance of the Commandments to the foundation of U.S. law. He noted that similar foundational texts, such as the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, are not subject to mandatory display.