Texas public schools to add Bible to public school curriculum, teach students about violence of Islam under proposed measures

The State of Texas is poised to require Bible teachings to be taught in public schools, while implementing lesson plans that would draw stronger connections to Islam and violence. The Texas Board of Education, a Republican majority, voted on Wednesday evening to move toward final approvals.

The social studies proposal would mandate schools to teach Bible lessons and other literary works to students as young as six years old until they graduate from high school. This includes the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the eight Beatitudes, and the Christian story of Adam and Eve, the Texas Tribune reported.

The changes would take effect during the 2030-2031 school year if approved by the board on Friday. Supporters have argued that the Bible is important for students to understand American history and culture; however, critics claim that the revisions favor Christianity over other world religions, which they accuse of being portrayed negatively.

For example, the board gave preliminary approval on Wednesday for middle and high school students to be taught lesson plans that draw connections between Islam and violence. Dallas Morning News reported that one approved provision "would ask students to examine Islam through 'the Prophet Mohammed's brutal military campaigns.'"

Board member Brandon Hall introduced the amendment. His earlier version asked students to explain "the Prophet Mohammed's brutal military campaigns against Jewish and Christian tribes," and Islam's kidnapping of females to keep them as harem slaves. Additionally, board members struck down a standard that would require students to understand that Islam's brutal beliefs are found in the Koran, per the Dallas Morning News.

This comes as conservatives in Texas express concern about the influx of Muslims settling in the state, including the proposed construction of a 402-acre entirely-Muslim city on the outskirts of Dallas. The proposed site has been the subject of ongoing legal battles, with a judge recently ordering the state to allow it to be built.

If the board approves the lesson plans on Friday, they will become a part of standardized testing.