On Friday, the Texas state board of education approved additional Bible training in public elementary schools with a vote of 8 to 7. The separation of church and state has sparked controversy due to the new education, which could be used as early as the following year.
Despite concerns that the material had market Christianity and exclude various religions, the board, which had a Republican majority, approved it. Followers claimed that learning can be improved by using the Bible because it is significant to American story.
The training, funded by the state, would be applicable for kindergarten through fifth grade. However, colleges are not required to use them.
The Golden Rule is covered in a preschool lesson plan using Bible cases. Teachers are instructed to describe how the chancellor of Plymouth made use of Psalms in his conversation in a different lesson for fourth grade about Thanksgiving.
The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty’s executive director, Amanda Tyler, claimed that the curriculum’s presentation of these Bible reports is neither age-appropriate nor subject-appropriate.
According to researchers, Texas is the first position to start teaching Bible classes in this way. The propriety of the education remains uncertain.
The Texas training firm developed the components following a 2023 legislation passed by the Republican-led Senate.
The ballot comes as Republicans attempt to enact spirituality into public education. Oklahoma is suing for attempting to include the Bible in training programs, while Louisiana just saw a law that a federal judge blocked from enforcing the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
