Oklahoma
All Oklahoma schools are ordered to incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments in their curriculums, effective immediately, the state’s chief education officer announced in a memorandum on Thursday (June 27).
The memorandum from Oklahoma's education chief, Ryan Walters, emphasises the historical significance of the Bible and Ten Commandments, noting their influence on Western civilisation and the US Constitution. It mandates their inclusion in the curriculum for grades 5-12 but specifies their use for studying history, ethics, and comparative religion.
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“This is not just an educational order but an important step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country,” the memo added.
The school superintendents were told that more information would be forthcoming on monitoring this directive for the 2024-25 school year and that the Education Department could help by providing materials on the subject.
However, Walters’s action was immediately criticised by adversaries who see it as just another way to blur the lines between church and state.
“Public schools are not Sunday schools. Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters has repeatedly made clear that he is incompetent of distinguishing the difference and is unfit for office. His latest idea — to mandate use of the Bible in Oklahoma public schools’ curriculum is a clear, unconstitutional effort to indoctrinate and religiously force public school students,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
The directive arrives just a week after Louisiana's governor ignited controversy by signing a law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments. This move was swiftly met with legal action from civil liberties organisations, including Laser's.
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On Tuesday in Oklahoma, the state Supreme Court struck down the nation’s first religious charter school as unconstitutional, receiving criticism from Walters.
(With inputs from agencies)