Several US states are moving towards publicly-funded Christian education, sparking heated debate over the separation of church and state amidst the rising tide of Christian nationalism across the country.
Texas and Ohio are pressing ahead with such plans – but in Louisiana and Oklahoma, supporters of similar moves are facing setbacks.
In Texas, the State Board of Education has approved the introduction of ‘Bluebonnet Learning’, a new state-developed elementary curriculum that integrates the Bible into lesson plans.
Although adoption of Bluebonnet Learning is optional for school districts across the state, there will be a financial incentive for using the curriculum, which amounts to $60 per child.
Will Hickman, Texas State Board of Education member, told The New York Times: ‘In my view, these stories are on the education side and are establishing cultural literacy. There’s religious concepts like the Good Samaritan, the Golden Rule, and Moses, that all students should be exposed to.’
In Ohio, taxpayer money is being used to benefit Christian education, thanks to new construction grants that the state has made available for developing and refurbishing religious schools.
Most of the grants awarded are tied to the Center for Christian Virtue (CCV), Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organisation.
Meanwhile, a federal judge has blocked Louisiana education officials from enforcing a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public classrooms, ruling the legislation ‘unconstitutional on its face’.
The law was to go into effect on 1 January, but was halted after a group of parents took the issue to court. The state is now appealing the decision.
In nearby Oklahoma, a similar incident played out when parents sued over State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ decision to require public schools to incorporate the Bible into lesson plans.
