The State Board of Education has approved the Bluebonnet Learning instructional materials for kindergarten through fifth grade that include references to the Bible and other religious texts, following the recent passing of House Bill 1605 and implementation of the new Instructional Materials Review and Approval Process. The school will have the option of whether or not to adopt the curriculum, but it is financially incentivized with $60 for each student who would be using the materials.
Implementing this curriculum would benefit elementary students and promote religious literacy.
An accurate and well-rounded understanding of history includes a basic understanding of the religions that have shaped our culture. This curriculum would allow for discussions about different religious texts and how they have impacted civilization throughout history. The lessons would include information from a variety of texts, including the Bible and the Tanakh, and information about Islam, Buddhism and ancient polytheistic faiths.
Those opposed to the curriculum argue that it is biased toward Protestant Christian themes and violates the idea of the separation of church and state. Although it does include lessons about biblical stories, the Program and Implementation Guide published by the Texas Education Agency emphasizes that it aims to focus on the “literary and historic value in the content.” The lessons would not be focused on spiritual implications or intended to pressure students into certain beliefs.
Although the topic of religion in an educational environment requires sensitivity toward students, ignoring it altogether would just leave students to navigate it themselves through less trustworthy and scholarly platforms.
The school should consider this curriculum as a serious option for our elementary classes and an opportunity to educate students about the religions they will continue to encounter throughout their lives.