New Texas social studies curriculum will require educators to teach students about the reality of communism, Western civilization, and other areas of history.
Under the new framework, described as a “comprehensive” model, as per the Houston Chronicle, a chronological approach to history will be taught. “The model, favored by conservatives on the board, boosts the proportion of Texas history, and removes standalone world cultures courses,” the report details. “Third grade will now begin with ‘birth of Western civilizations’ and eighth grade will become a Texas history-only capstone course.”
According to the outlet, the curriculum is written by those on the 15-member State Board of Education, which consists of 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats. The new standards will be implemented in the fall of 2030, while the communism portions will be implemented during the 2026-2027 academic year.
Under a recent state law, students are to learn the “atrocities attributable to communist regimes” as well as the “oppression and suffering experienced by people living under communist regimes.”
“In adopting the essential knowledge and skills for the social studies curriculum for each grade level from grade 4 through grade 12, the State Board of Education shall, as appropriate, adopt essential knowledge and skills that develop each student’s understanding of communist regimes and ideologies and include age appropriate and developmentally appropriate instruction with information,” the law reads. Students are to learn the “history of and tactics used by communist
movements in the United States,” such as the events surrounding the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap, the Ukrainian Famine, the Great Terror, the Cambodian genocide under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, communism in Cuba, and Latin American guerrilla movements.
