Библейские истории станут частью нового списка чтения в государственных школах Техаса, привлекая внимание

Исторические библейские сюжеты вроде истории о Ионе и ките стали бы частью нового списка литературы для чтения в государственных школах Техаса, который собрал переполненную толпу на заседание во вторник совета по образованию штата.

Религиозные лидеры, учителя, родители и ученики провели часы, споря о списке литературы для 5,4 миллиона воспитанников детских садов и учащихся по 12-й класс включительно в масштабах штата. Дискуссия разворачивается на фоне продолжающихся в стране давних разбирательств о роли религии в государственных школах, которые продолжают стимулировать принятие законов и судебные иски.

На национальном уровне президент Дональд Трамп пообещал защищать и расширять религиозное самовыражение в государственных школах. И Техас, «красный» штат, где проживает примерно каждый десятый ученик государственных школ страны, часто помогает задавать повестку дня.

Техас стал первым штатом, разрешившим капелланов, в 2023 году. А совсем в прошлом году в штате вступил в силу мандат, возглавляемый республиканцами, согласно которому Десять заповедей должны быть вывешены в государственных школах, хотя примерно около дюжины десятков округов их сняли из‑за судебного иска.

Но хотя спор о стандартах мог бы иметь общенациональные последствия, для выступавших вопрос сводился к тому, являются ли эти отрывки необходимыми для понимания истории и морали страны — или же они неконституционны.

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But while the debate on the standards could have national implications, to the speakers the issue boiled down to whether the passages are essential to understanding the nation’s history and morals — or unconstitutional.

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Our children need truth,” said Nathan Irving, a pastor and father of eight from Myrtle Springs, Texas. “Truth is the only currency that never devalues. Investing truth into our children is the most loving thing that we can do for them. This is the truth. This country and this state were founded upon a Christian worldview. Like it or not, it is true.”

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Several speakers, however, cited the “establishment clause” of the First Amendment, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

“This list is a tool of proselytization that has no place in our public schools,” Rabbi Josh Fixler, of Congregation Emanu El, a reform synagogue in Houston, told the board. “There is a difference between teaching about religion and teaching religion, and this list will force teachers to cross that line.”

Megan Boyden, a mother of three from Denton, Texas, described is as a direct attack on her private faith.

“As a Christian mother, it is my right and responsibility to teach our family’s religion,” she said. “It is not the state’s job to shed through the lens of a teacher who may not share the same beliefs I do. Will Bible passages be taught in conflict with my beliefs?

“What,” she asked, “of non-Christian students?”

The list stems from a state law passed in 2023, which called for the creation of a state-approved list of high-quality materials.

Third-graders would learn about the Road to Damascus, which tells the story of Paul’s transformation from an early persecutor of Christians into a follower. Seniors, meanwhile, would learn about the Book of Job, a story about a man whose faith is tested when he looses everything.

The list also includes classics like Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat,” stories about the national folk hero Daniel Boone. And there are also works by famous African Americans like Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr. and a book about Harriet Tubman of the Underground Railroad fame.

The GOP-leaning board previously approved a new Bible-infused curriculum that is optional for schools to incorporate in kindergarten through fifth grades. A final vote on the list is expected in June. No changes would take effect until the 2030-31 school year.

The board also is considering social studies standards that have been criticized as too state-centric, not focused enough on world events and rife with an undercurrent of American exceptionalism. They call for students to “identify the Texas flag as a symbol of Texas pride,” and recognize the state song “Texas, Our Texas.”

Students also are supposed to be able to understand stories about Texas Independence.

Curriculum debates crop up occasionally. Over the years, state boards in places such as Kansas have debated whether the teaching of evolution should reflect doubt about the well-established scientific theory — and leave room for arguments that the universe’s complexity points to an intelligent design.

Allison Cardwell, a mother of a fourth-grader and a fifth-grade social studies teacher, urged the board to rethink the standards. She said fifth grade would be the only time most Texas students would receive instruction in U.S. history until high school.

“We have to ask ourselves, How can we expect to create citizens who value liberty, responsibility, and the principles this country was founded on, if we don’t ensure that they truly understand those foundations?” she said.