Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters announced that public schools must incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments in the curriculum.
Classrooms are to be required to have a Bible.
Walters called the Bible an “indispensable historical and cultural touchstone.” Without 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,” he stated.
The Bible and 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.”
State Representative Mickey Dollens (D) criticized the move, telling FOX23, “Requiring a Bible in every classroom does not improve Oklahoma’s ranking of 49th in education. Ryan Walters should focus on educating students, not evangelizing them.”
Earlier this week, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that public funds could not be used to establish religious charter schools.
Walters said of the ruling, “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. Oklahomans have demanded school choice not religious targeting.”
The move to require the Ten Commandments in classrooms comes as Louisiana passed a law mandating the same.
The new law, signed by Governor Landry on Thursday, mandates that the Biblical covenant be displayed “in a large, easily readable font” on a poster no smaller than 11 by 14 inches in every state-funded school, from kindergarten to university level.
