OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s top education official on Thursday ordered public schools to incorporate the Bible into classes for grades 5 through 12, the latest effort by conservatives to incorporate religion into classrooms.
The directive sent Thursday to superintendents across the state by Republican state superintendent Ryan Walters says adherence to the mandate is mandatory and “immediate and strict compliance is expected.”
“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone,” Walters said in a statement. “Without basic subject knowledge, Oklahoma students are unable to adequately contextualize the foundation of our nation, which is why Oklahoma Educational Standards inform their instruction.”
The directive is the latest effort by conservative-led states to target public schools: Louisiana required them to publish the Ten Commandments in classroomswhile others are under pressure to teach the Bible It is ban books and lessons about race, sexual orientation and gender identity. Earlier this week, the Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked an attempt by the state to have the first publicly funded licensed religious school in the country.
Former public school teacher elected to the position in 2022, Walters ran a platform to fight against “woke ideology”, ban books from school libraries and get rid of “radical leftists” who, he says, are indoctrinating children in classrooms.
He has clashed with leaders of both parties over his focus on culture war issues, including transgender rights and book bans, and in January faced criticism for naming a right-wing social media influencer of New York to a state library committee.
Walters’ directive was immediately criticized by civil rights groups and supporters of the separation of church and state.
“Public schools are not Sunday schools,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, in a statement. “This is textbook Christian Nationalism: Walters is abusing the power of his public office to impose his religious beliefs on everyone else’s children. Not on our command.
