A controversial Bible-infused curriculum, approved for Texas public schools in 2024, is set for extensive corrections after hundreds of errors were identified by teachers and education officials. The material, known as the 'Bluebonnet' textbook, had already been introduced into classrooms.
The curriculum is part of broader Republican-led initiatives across the US to integrate more religious instruction into schools. While optional for schools, its adoption comes with additional funding. It was initially approved despite concerns from religious scholars that it favoured Christianity over other faiths, and from advocacy groups who argued it prioritised preaching over teaching.
The State Board of Education recently voted 8-6 to approve necessary changes, including rectifying factual inaccuracies, correcting punctuation, and replacing images due to licensing issues. The volume of errors sparked debate among board members. Democrat Tiffany Clark voiced dismay, stating: 'My concern is that we have failed students this school year who have been utilising this product.' Republican board chair Aaron Kinsey questioned whether correcting 'trivial' issues like copyright could mean students would fail state tests. Ms Clark retorted that even a simple typo, particularly in maths equations, could have significant consequences.
Colin Dempsey, an official from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), acknowledged the 'high number of updates' but maintained that factual errors were 'minimal', though he did not provide a specific figure. Board members suggested over 4,000 corrections were needed, but TEA spokesperson Jake Kobersky told The Associated Press that approximately 1,900 changes were made, including duplicates. Mr Kobersky asserted that most changes were 'proactive in response to teacher feedback or grammatical fixes, not a result of factual errors.'
The exact number of districts that adopted the curriculum for the current academic year remains unclear. However, by August, over 300 school districts and charter schools – roughly a quarter of Texas’s 1,207 districts – had indicated their intention to use it. Following the approval, the TEA confirmed online materials would be updated within 30 days, but offered no timeline or cost estimate for printing and replacing physical resources.
Pam Little, a Republican board member who voted for the changes, expressed concern that the board had 'set a precedent for sloppy publishing.' In response, Mr Dempsey stated the agency has increased the number of reviewers from five to eight for future assessments. 'I’m hopeful that will improve our process, where these are caught in the summer and not later on,' he concluded.
