State Board Of Education Mandates Bible In Curriculum; Lawmakers Criticize Decision

The State Board of Education is requiring all schools to incorporate the Bible into lesson plans for students starting in the 5th grade.

State superintendent Ryan Walters said this will require every teacher and classroom to keep the Bible inside, but some lawmakers have already criticized the decision.

Related: State Superintendent Walters Issues Memo To Require Bibles In Every Oklahoma Classroom

Walters said the Bible is a historical document that set the foundation for many events in U.S. history.

Two state representatives, including John Waldron from Tulsa, said schools need to review existing state laws.

Walters said his staff has been reviewing state statutes and academic standards and they think the Bible is a necessary document to teach kids.

He said every teacher and every classroom in the state will have a Bible, and the state board will provide teaching materials so the same thing is being taught in every classroom.

Walters said it is essential for students to have an understanding of the Bible and the historical context it carries.

"We see multiple figures, whether we're talking about the Federalist Papers, Constitutional Convention arguments, and Martin Luther King Junior, who used it as a tremendous impetus for the Civil Rights movement, and tying many of those arguments back to the Bible," State Supt. Ryan Walters said.

Waldron said it part, "Religious instruction should begin with and remain in the rightful hands of parents and guardians. Today's directive feels like an unprecedented attempt from the State Superintendent to distract from the reported investigations into financial mismanagement of tax dollars."

The policy is expected to face almost immediate legal challenges.