The Oklahoma State Department of Education has launched a new taxpayer-funded division aimed at protecting religious expression and displays of patriotism in public schools. This is a representative image. Miguel Medina/AFP via Getty Images
The Oklahoma State Department of Education has launched a new taxpayer-funded division aimed at protecting religious expression and displays of patriotism in public schools.
In the wake of recent incidents in which Bible verses were removed from public school classrooms following complaints from secular groups, Oklahoma State Department of Education Superintendent Ryan Walters announced the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s Office of Religious Freedom and Patriotism. Established “Voice.” Reported.
Mr. Walters is a vocal advocate of religious and patriotic education and has long opposed restrictions on religious expression in schools. He argued that the restrictions were leading to poorer academic and social outcomes.
The move is in line with President-elect Donald Trump’s education goals, including promoting the “freedom to pray” and dismantling the U.S. Department of Education in favor of state control.
The Office of Religious Freedom and Patriotism, which Mr. Walters oversees, is charged with protecting the rights of students, teachers, and parents to freely express their religious beliefs and patriotic sentiments within Oklahoma’s public schools. are.
The office will also investigate potential cases where these rights may be violated and issue guidelines to schools to ensure the right to prayer is protected.
“It is no coincidence that the erosion of faith and family values in public schools is directly correlated with lower academic performance in public schools,” Walters said in a statement. “In Oklahoma, we intend to reverse this negative trend and work with the incoming Trump administration to aggressively pursue education policies that improve academic performance and give our children a better future.”
Meanwhile, some groups, parents and educators have expressed concerns about the potential violation of the constitutional separation of church and state.
Thirty-two people have banded together to file a lawsuit against Walter in hopes of blocking his Bible education mandate and preventing him from using state funds to purchase Bibles.
“It is unacceptable that Superintendent Ryan Walters is using the state apparatus to indoctrinate Oklahoma students with his religion,” Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Religious Freedom Foundation, told The Oklahoma Voice. told. “Thankfully, Oklahoma law protects families and taxpayers from his unconstitutional plan to force public schools to adopt his preferred scripture.”
The Office of Religious Freedom and Patriotism announced Tuesday that it will begin implementing guidance for schools in the coming days.
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