- Oct 17, 2011
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Texas schools can now teach Bible-based reading lessons
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 board's narrow vote of 8 to 7 marks the latest move by Republicans to incorporate Christian teachings into schools nationwide. Four Democrats and three Republicans voted against using the curriculum.
The vote was only for adding the curriculum to English Language Arts and Reading, but the board is considering using it in other areas.
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ChristianPost [hat tip Michie]
The curriculum provides instructional guidelines for K-5 teachers and includes lessons on “the early history of Christianity, with selections from the New Testament books of the Christian Bible providing context on beliefs about Jesus of Nazareth.”
...the curriculum includes studies such as “Christianity and the Roman Empire,” which has a stated reading objective for students to “explain how Jesus of Nazareth’s life impacted the Roman Empire.”
“I think kids should learn about the major world religions in school, including Christianity,” [TX Rep. James Talarico] told CP. “They need it to understand the world, understand literature, understand their own culture and other cultures. But when the state usurps the role of the church — preaching Christianity instead of teaching it — the government violates the constitutional separation of church and state found in our First Amendment.”
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Talarico is absolutely right. Teaching about religion is fine [though it would seem better suited for history or social studies than English class]. Teaching religion in the public schools is unconstitutional. There seem to be significant concerns about whether this curriculum is actually providing best practices in teaching reading, and whether it crosses that line.
