Oklahoma Schools Require the Bible and Ten Commandments Be Included in Curriculum

Source: Thicha Satapitanon / Getty

All schools in the state of Oklahoma (under the jurisdiction of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters) will now be required to include the Bible and its Ten Commandments teachings in curriculum, as announced by the state’s chief education officer in a memorandum on Thursday.

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The mandate is to take effect immediately. All 5th grade to 12th grade classes must have Bible in the classroom, which teachers are now required to instruct from.

“The Bible is an indispensable historical and cultural touchstone…Without basic knowledge of it, Oklahoma students are unable to properly contextualize the foundation of our nation. This is not merely an educational directive but a crucial step in ensuring our students grasp the core values and historical context of our country,” Ryan Walters explained,”… the Bible is a necessary historical document [for kids to have a] complete understanding of Western civilization…and understanding of the basis of our legal system,” Walters said.

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The announcement, which comes just one week after Louisiana’s governor signed a law requiring posters of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom (according to TheHill.com), was not received well by all.

“Public schools are not Sunday schools. Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters has repeatedly made clear that he is incapable of distinguishing the difference and is unfit for office. His latest scheme — to mandate use of the Bible in Oklahoma public schools’ curriculum is a transparent, unconstitutional effort to indoctrinate and religiously coerce public school students,” said Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

For the 2024-2025 school year, school superintendents will soon receive directives on monitoring this new requirement. The Education Department will assist with providing materials on the subject.