Texas may require more Bible stories, change history lessons in public schools

Key Points:

• The Texas State Board of Education is set to vote on major changes to social studies and reading curricula, including minimizing racial, geographic, and cultural diversity while emphasizing the Bible in public schools.
• The proposed social studies rewrite removes the sixth-grade world cultures course, reduces focus on non-European world history, and increases emphasis on Texas and U.S. history.
• The new statewide reading list mandates teaching Bible stories to students from age 6 through high school graduation, sparking controversy over religious emphasis.
• Supporters, mainly conservative Republicans, argue the changes counteract what they see as anti-American instruction, while opponents criticize the lack of racial, ethnic, and gender inclusion and the prioritization of memorization over critical thinking.
• Historians and educators warn the proposals contain factual inaccuracies and simplifications that could disadvantage students, citing problematic lessons such as framing Japanese American internment as a military "contribution" and omitting Martin Luther King Jr. from civil rights education.