Texas education board approves school curriculum that includes biblical stories

The Texas State Board of Education voted on Friday to approve an optional public school curriculum that includes stories from the Bible and lessons based on the ancient text.

The board, which is composed of 10 Republicans and five Democrats, narrowly passed the new curriculum in a vote of 8-7. The vote now gives public schools the green light to implement it in grade levels kindergarten through fifth grade, with an added financial incentive of $60 per student in funding if they choose to do so.

The curriculum, which has outraged some while receiving praise from state leaders, includes teaching kindergarteners about the Golden Rule through passages in the Bible, which appears in the book of Matthew. It also instructs teachers to explain that the Bible is “a collection of ancient texts” and that its parts are “the core books of the Jewish and Christian religions.”