This program, optional for schools, is a new development in the debate on the separation of church and state in the United States.
The Texas State Board of Education on Friday gave preliminary approval to a new school curriculum that includes Bible-based lessons for children starting in kindergarten. A decision that is part of a growing effort by the state to introduce Christian principles into public schools. Earlier in the week, the Texas education board had already given the green light.
The program, which is optional for school districts, has drawn criticism that it violates the ban on “government endorsement of religion,” or the separation of church and state enshrined in the Constitution of the United States.
On Friday, November 15, the state education board had already given the green light to the launch of this program. Districts that enforce it will receive a bonus of $60 per student.
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Texas is a state at the forefront of a movement initiated by some Christian conservatives to promote religion in public schools, testing the limits of American law and potentially inviting an increasingly right-wing Supreme Court to weigh in the balance.
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed support for the decisions, as he wants to implement a more conservative curriculum in public school classrooms and reduce the influence of the Department of Education. On Thursday, he appointed the former boss of American wrestling, Linda McMahon, to the post of Minister of National Education, to offer more latitude to the States in their school program.
In 2023, Texas became the first state to pass a law allowing chaplains in public schools, and Republican lawmakers are reviving a yet-to-be-passed bill that would require chaplains to be in public schools. Ten Commandments be posted in classrooms. A similar law on the Ten Commandments, adopted in Louisiana, was blocked by a federal judge in July.
Lawmakers in more than two dozen U.S. states have proposed at least 91 bills this year aimed at expanding the role of religion in public schools, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which opposes such laws.
Potential isolation of students of other faiths
Among the most vocal criticisms of this project, the new Texas school curriculum would place more emphasis on Christianity than on other world religions. For example, a kindergarten lesson on “golden rule”essential to many religions – an ethic of reciprocity – focuses on the Christian version, including Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
A course for third graders (equivalent to second grade) on ancient Rome includes an in-depth section on the life of Jesus and the beginnings of Christianity, while the early history of other major religions is covered much less.
Supporters of the plan, including Gov. Greg Abbott, argue that the courses provide important cultural and historical context, rather than religious indoctrination. A number of people have expressed concern that the classes could disrupt or isolate students of other faiths, including Jews and Muslims.
“I just think if we try to leave too much room for one religion, we risk damaging the experience of children who have different beliefs”said Texas State Board of Trustees member Rebecca Bell-Metereau.
Besides the emphasis on Christianity, the lessons are not age-appropriate for young children, said Mark Chancey, a professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, who opposes the program. “They tell these stories in a very literal way that is likely to convince children to accept their statements as literal”he argued, citing as an example a session planned during kindergarten classes which includes the story of Genesis.
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