Oklahoma Superintendent Mandates Schools To Teach The Bible For Grades 5-12

State Superintendent Ryan Walters has issued a directive requiring public schools to integrate the Bible into curriculum for students in grades 5 through 12.

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Walters exclaims that the measure is essential for students to understand America’s historical and cultural foundations properly. “Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation, which is why Oklahoma educational standards provide for its instruction,” he explained. The mandate has sparked a backlash from various civil rights organizations and advocates for the separation of church and state, arguing that it enforces an overreach of power and infringes on constitutional principles, the Associated Press reported .

Phil Bacharach, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Gentner Drummond, noted that while state law permits the presence of Bibles in classrooms and their use in teaching, it remains unclear whether the superintendent has the authority to enforce the mandate. Oklahoma law states that individual school districts hold exclusive rights over decisions related to instruction and educational materials.

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The decision from Walters is reportedly part of a more significant trend in conservative-led states focusing on educational content. Recently, Louisiana mandated the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms and the pressure to restrict teaching on topics such as race, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Earlier this week, the Oklahoma Supreme Court stopped an attempt to establish the state’s first publicly funded religious charter school.

Walters has had his fair share of controversial moments as he promoted a platform against “woke ideology.” His agenda included efforts to ban books and remove influencers that were seen as radical and leftist.

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