Studying the Bible may now become part of the official curriculum for public schools in Kentucky. As reported on CourierJournal.com, the committee of the state senate has recently approved a bill intended for integrating Bible-focused elective social studies in the public schools.
Bible in Social Studies
According to the principal author and sponsor of the bill, Senator Robin Webb, the bill will promote Bible literacy as part of elective social studies. The senator emphasized that the bill does not endorse religion but merely provide educational historical context about the Bible.
The Kentucky Senate’s Education Committee has unanimously approved the bill on March 10, 2016. This bill mandates the Kentucky Department of Education to draft the implementing rules for the elective Bible-focused social study classes.
Senate Bill 278 authorizes the local school districts to offer the elective courses for students in junior high school and senior high school. The courses will focus on the content of the Bible not from the doctrinal or religiously biased point of view but on historical and sociological context.
Not Mandatory
Public high school students who enroll in the Bible elective courses will not be required to use specific versions or translations. As what is stipulated in the bill provisions, the discussion of the subject must maintain religious neutrality that accommodates other religious views and traditions.
Jenny Caperton, a mother who was among those interviewed by WKYT, had something insightful to say about the issue. She was quoted in the WKYT website:
“I do not believe that it’s teaching religion. I think it’s teaching historical points of view and I think that all children need to be aware of that and I think it’s a great idea. As long as it’s not forced on the students, I think that they should because that’s the reality of the world. We’re all from different places and different perspectives. We all believe different ways. I think it would teach children to be more tolerant and to get along better.”
Constitutionality and Opposition
The bill may technically pass the constitutionality test and may not necessarily promote religion in public school but it will definitely have some basic hurdles once the classes start. As what Robert Boston of the Americans United for the Separation of church and State pointed out, some caution must be exercised to avoid biases.
Some opponents of the bill, like the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, argue that it would be very difficult to be totally unbiased in discussing the lessons. ACLU of Kentucky emphasized that it is not the role of government employees to teach religion.
Featured image via WikiMedia Commons
