The Texas Board of Education approved a new curriculum that allows public schools in that U.S. state to teach about the Bible in classrooms, according to media reports on Friday.
The curriculum gives schools the green light to teach about the Bible to students from Kindergarten through Grade 5. The classroom syllabus includes Biblical and Christian lessons about Moses, the story of the Good Samaritan, the Golden Rule and readings from The Book of Genesis, according to the curriculum agenda.
"The materials will also allow our students to better understand the connection of history, art, community, literature, and religion on pivotal events like the signing of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Movement, and the American Revolution," said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a statement.
Critics say the newly-passed curriculum violates the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment right to freedom of religion for students and teachers and the separation of church and state.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) advocacy group has criticized the curriculum, saying it will "turn the state's public schools into Christian training grounds" by forcing classrooms to engage in Christian instruction.
"The curriculum targets the youngest, most impressionable elementary students, starting by introducing kindergartners to Jesus," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor said in a statement.
"Religious instruction is the purview of parents, not proselytizing school boards," she continued. "This is a shameful ruse by Christian nationalists in Texas who see the schools as a mission field."
According to the new legislation, the instructional materials, called Bluebonnet Learning, would be optional. However, school districts could receive at least $40 per student for using the state-approved teaching materials.
Several other states, including Louisiana and Oklahoma, have been behind the push to enforce Christian-based teaching materials for all public schools. Some of the proposed education requirements include the implementation of Bibles, the Ten Commandments and other religious doctrines in the classroom.
