The Texas State Board of Education on Friday approved a controversial, Bible-infused curriculum for public school students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Texas schools will not be required to use “BlueBonnet” curriculum, which includes lessons from the books of Genesis and Psalms, as well as the New Testament, but will receive extra funding if they do.
“The materials contain an unwelcome and unnecessary quantity of Bible references,” the Texas American Federation of Teachers said in a written statement released on 15 November.
In Louisiana, a law requiring all state schools to display the Ten Commandments has been temporarily blocked by a federal court following legal action from a parent group.
Top education officials in Oklahoma ordered public schools in June to incorporate Bible lessons in teaching students in grades five through twelve.
A contentious curriculum that incorporates biblical themes for kindergarten through fifth graders in public schools was approved by the Texas State Board of Education on Friday.
Although they won’t have to, Texas schools that implement the “BlueBonnet” curriculum—which incorporates lessons from the New Testament and the books of Genesis and Psalms—will be eligible for additional funding.
Republicans have taken yet another step to introduce Christian teachings into schools across the country, with the board’s narrow vote of 8 to 7. Three Republicans and four Democrats voted against the curriculum’s implementation.
The board is thinking of using it in other areas, but the vote was only for adding English Language Arts and Reading to the curriculum.
In a written statement issued on November 15, the Texas American Federation of Teachers wrote, “The materials contain an unwanted and unnecessary quantity of Bible references.”. These resources not only transgress our classroom’s academic freedom and the separation of church and state, but they also undermine the integrity of the teaching profession. “.”.
Beginning in August 2025, the curriculum will be utilized in classrooms.
Although school districts are free to create their own lesson plans and are not required to follow the curriculum, they will be rewarded with $40 for each student who purchases educational materials.
Other Republican-dominated states in the US are making similar attempts.
After a parent organization filed a lawsuit, a federal court in Louisiana temporarily blocked a law that required the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all state schools.
In June, Oklahoma’s top education officials mandated that Bible lessons be taught to students in grades five through twelve in public schools. The Oklahoma Supreme Court is considering a lawsuit brought by parents, students, and educators to stop Bible sales.
Superintendent Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s top education official, recently declared that the state had acquired 500 copies of President-elect Donald Trump’s Bible for use in certain high school courses that studied the US government. In addition to the Declaration of Independence, he claimed that the books contained other “foundational documents” for the nation.
Despite some school districts’ refusals, media reports state that Superintendent Walters has also mandated that schools play a video of him praying for Trump.
