Following Republican-led initiatives in other states to increase religious instruction in classrooms, a plan that sparked hours of testimony Monday would allow Texas public schools to offer Bible studies to pupils in kindergarten through fifth grade.
At a meeting of the Texas State Board of Education, which is scheduled to conduct a final decision on the curriculum proposal later this week, educators and parents passionately testified both in favor of and against the plan.
Over 150 people testified before the board for over eight hours over the new planned curriculum, according to KHOU-TV.
The curriculum, which was created by the state’s public education department, would let Bible lessons from books like Genesis and the Golden Rule to be taught in classrooms. Although schools would earn extra funds if they adopted the curriculum, it would be optional under the idea.
The proposition, according to others, goes against the objective of public schools.
According to educator Megan Tessler, “This curriculum fails to meet the standard of an honest, secular one. Public schools are meant to educate, not indoctrinate.”
The notion was strongly supported by others.
“Parents and teachers want a return to excellence,” Cindy Asmussen, who testified, said the panel. According to her, “Stories and concepts in the Bible have been common for hundreds of years,” which is a fundamental component of classical education.
On Friday, a vote by education officials was anticipated about the possibility of allowing public schools to teach the curriculum.
The plan to include religious instruction in Texas’ public schools is part of a nationwide trend. State representatives in Oklahoma are working to incorporate the Bible into the curriculum of public schools. A federal judge in Louisiana recently overturned a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be placed in every public school.
At the State Board of Education’s last meeting of the year, educators, parents, and advocates shared their thoughts.
Many opponents contended that the proposal’s focus on Christian beliefs would alienate kids of other religions. Advocates stated in court that it would provide pupils with a more comprehensive education.
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The curriculum proposal skirts the history of slavery and concentrates too much on Christianity, according to religious experts and the Texas Freedom Network, a left-leaning watchdog group that keeps an eye on the state’s education board.
The Texas Education Agency created the program earlier this year after a law requiring it to provide its own free textbook was passed. Greg Abbott, a Republican governor, has openly endorsed the new materials.
Texas Republican lawmakers are expected to take up the topic again next year after also proposing to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
