Board of Education approves Bible-based lessons in Texas public schools

TEXAS, United States (AA) – The Texas Board of Education has approved a new curriculum that allows public schools in the state to give Bible-based lessons, according to media reports.

The curriculum gives schools the green light to teach about the Bible to students from Kindergarten through Grade 5. The 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 US 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.

America has a 4.5 million-strong Muslim community, with at least 450,000 Muslims residing in Texas alone.

Subjecting children belonging to their families to Christian instruction at a young impressionable age raises concerns about religious freedom and minority rights in the country.