Texas Board of Education Holds Hearings On Social Studies Curriculum

Source: religionclause.blogspot.com
TEXAS, USA, January 14, 2010: [HPI note: Texas and, to a lesser extent, California are the states that define the standards for what will be in school textbooks in all of America. Hindus should be well aware of this process. For wider coverage on this, including Hinduism Today's Hindu Social Studies special insights, go to this link. ]

The Texas State Board of Education yesterday held hearings on proposed revisions to the state’s social studies curriculum. A number of the 130 speakers at the hearing focused on issues of how the role of religion in American history will be taught. For example, the proposed changes include more of an emphasis on documents like the Mayflower Compact of 1620, which was written by Christian pilgrims and includes the faith-based beliefs of the founding fathers. It’s revisions like these that some believe add a slanted focus on religion and have sparked statewide controversy. News 8 here Austin and the Ft. Worth Star Telegram here report on much of the testimony.

Sue Tilis of the National Council of Jewish Women said the draft revisions do a good job of teaching the role of religion in history without advocating particular religious beliefs. Steve Green representing the Texas Freedom Network objected to increased emphasis on documents such as the Mayflower Compact of 1620 written by Christian Pilgrims. Other witnesses urged changes ranging from more emphasis on American “exceptionalism” to including discussion of Sikhism in the world history section of the curriculum standards.