Public schools in Oklahoma have been ordered to teach the Bible effective immediately.
Public school superintendents across the state were sent a memo from the Oklahoma State Department of Education Thursday informing them, "Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum across specified grade levels."
"The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone," State Superintendent Ryan Walters said in a statement.
"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," Walters said. "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."
The announcement comes on the heels of a similar mandate in nearby Louisiana, where Republican Governor Jeff Landry signed a controversial bill into law last week requiring all public schools and college classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.
The new law in Louisiana has already spurred lawsuits from families who argue that the law violates their First Amendment rights. Citing Supreme Court precedent, a group of nine multifaith families filed suit in federal court Monday and highlighted Stone v. Graham, which overturned a similar state law under the Constitution's establishment clause.
Texas has also published new reading standards that include Bible references but are awaiting approval.
On Thursday, Oklahoma's Department of Education said the Bible and the Ten Commandments "will be referenced as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like, as well as for their substantial influence on our nation's founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution."
The department also said that the new directive is in alignment with the teaching standards "approved on or about May 2019" and that it may supply teaching materials for the Bible "to ensure uniformity in delivery."
The announcement also comes just a day after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that publicly funded religious schools are unconstitutional, blocking what would have been the first-in-the-nation use of public funds for a private Catholic charter school.
Responding to the court's ruling, Waters said, "It's my firm belief that once again, the Oklahoma Supreme Court got it wrong."
"The words 'separation of church and state' do not appear in our Constitution, and it is outrageous that the Oklahoma Supreme Court misunderstood key cases involving the First Amendment and sanctioned discrimination against Christians based solely on their faith," Waters said. "Oklahomans have demanded school choice not religious targeting."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
fairness meter
To Rate This Article
About the writer
Katherine Fung is a Newsweek reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and world politics. ... Read more
