Oklahoma schools chief orders Bible taught in class

What happened

Oklahoma's top education official, Superintendent Ryan Walters (R), said Thursday that all public schools will have to incorporate the Bible in lessons for grades five through 12, and "immediate and strict compliance is expected."

Who said what

“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone," Walters said in a statement. "Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation." 

"Requiring a Bible in every classroom does not improve Oklahoma's ranking of 49th in education," countered state Rep. Mickey Dollens (D). Walters "should focus on educating students, not evangelizing them." Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which sued Louisiana this week for requiring display of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms, said Walters' directive was "textbook Christian Nationalism" that similarly violates the Constitution's Establishment Clause. 

What next?

It was "not immediately clear how the Bible would be taught or what instructional standards around it would require," The Washington Post said. It's also "not clear if Walters has the authority to mandate that schools teach" the Bible, Time Magazine said. State law gives local school districts "exclusive authority" over instruction and curriculum.

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