Oklahoma schools will be required to teach the Bible and the Ten Commandments to all grade school children.
Effective immediately, Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters sent a memo to schools saying that grades five through 12 are required to refer to the Bible and the Ten Commandments for their “substantial influence on our nation’s founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution.”
Walters said the new curriculum is to ensure that “historical understanding is there for every student in the state of Oklahoma.”
“It’s crystal clear to us that in the Oklahoma academic standards under Title 70 on multiple occasions, the Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system,” Walters said. “The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone. Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country.”
However, critics argue the new rule is “trampling the religious freedom of public school children and their families.”
Americans United for Separation of Church and State accused Walters of “abusing the power of his public office to impose his religious beliefs on everyone else’s children,” arguing that it is “Christian Nationalism.”
Interfaith Alliance claimed that Walter’s memo is “religious coercion” and that the new rule projects a “dangerous, intimidating efforts to force a Christian nationalist agenda into our schools, our courts and our government.”
Walter’s decision comes after the state’s Supreme Court blocked an effort to establish the first publicly funded religious charter school in the U.S.
Walters called the ruling “one of the worst” decisions the Oklahoma Supreme Court has made.
“What the court did was rule against the parents of Oklahoma who have demanded more choices for their kids. We have a great opportunity to make sure that parents have the most options of any parents in the country here in Oklahoma, by giving them the ability to go to a public school, charter schools, private schools, this would have been the most unique charter school in the country,” Walters said.