Oklahoma publishes guidelines for implementing the Bible in school

EXCLUSIVE — As Oklahoma's education system shifts its focus to the importance of Western civilization and American history, school districts across the state received guidance instructing teachers on how to incorporate the Bible into classroom discussion Wednesday morning.

The guidance, obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner, was sent to the districts by Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, and it noted that including the Bible in the classroom will emphasize the Bible's historical, literary, and secular benefits so as to keep in line with the law. While some "misguided individuals" have vowed not to teach the Bible in Oklahoma, Walters said the directive is mandatory.

“The radical leftist mob has tried to rewrite history in Oklahoma," Walters told the Washington Examiner. "It stops today, and Oklahoma schools will refocus our kids' education so they know the value of the bible in its historical context. The woke radicals will not like it. They will not believe it. However, they will teach it in Oklahoma.”

The guidance comes after Walters last month told all school districts this requirement was forthcoming.

"We are ending the era of woke indoctrination, a hatred for our country, and a deliberate attempt to warp kids' minds," the guidance states. "We are ending the days where there is bigger concern to keep Gender Queer and Flamer in schools rather than understand the US Constitution, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments."

The guidance emphasizes the Bible's impact on how Western civilization was built, including philosophy, legal frameworks, ethics, and cultural norms: "Teachers should focus on how biblical principles have shaped the foundational aspects of Western societies, such as the concepts of justice, human rights, and the rule of law."

The Bible has also been invoked throughout American history, the guidance states, using documents such as the Mayflower Compact and the Declaration of Independence and speeches such as those from Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King Jr.

Aside from Western civilization and American political history, the guidance highlights the Bible's influence on literature, including its heavy reference in some of the most prominent literary works through allusions, archetypes, and themes. Teachers will also be required to highlight the Bible's own use of literary techniques, such as allegory, metaphor, and parable, "allowing students to appreciate the Bible’s literary craftsmanship without delving into religious doctrine," the guidance states.

Teachers will also be expected to explore the Bible's influence on art and music and its interpretation through famous works and the historical context that surrounds them.

The document comes with an entire section on legal considerations, which stresses neutrality and objectivity when dealing with all religions, including Christianity, and being inclusive of the religions other students in the classroom may practice. The guidance requiring teachers to incorporate the Bible into curriculum is likely to attract legal challenges.

Oklahoma's guidance also highlights the need for robust communication with parents, who should be provided with classroom materials and explanations of how they are being used, including an emphasis on how the curriculum is not endorsing any religion.

"The Bible should be used in student instruction for its historical, literary and secular value and is not to be used for religious purposes such as preaching, proselytizing or indoctrination," the guidance states.

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Students will be expected to analyze the Bible's text like they would any other historical or literary document, the guidance states, focusing on structure, language, and rhetorical strategies. They will also use it to draw comparisons with subjects such as Greek mythology or focus on the ethical traditions that stem from the Bible in comparison to the ethics from other philosophical sources.

Implementation of the Bible will be tied to grade level, with the analysis set from kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade, sixth through eighth grade, and ninth through twelfth grade.