Texas education standards currently require sixth graders be "able to explain the significance of religious holidays sch as...Christmas and Easter...Ramadan, and...Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah." However, the Texas State Board of Education is currently considering a proposal which would remove the words Christmas and Rosh Hashanah from the curriculum, to have these supplanted by a lesson on the Hindu festival Dawali. The proposed change would affect sixth grade courses on world geography and cultures. "The curriculum does not prohibit teachers from mentioning other cultural or religious holidays in their classrooms."
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David Barton, one of the experts appointed to a
dvise the SBoE, opines against:
America is not equally divided among these five religions...[bringing up Christmas and Rosh Hashanah] does not necessarily promote either Christianity or Judaism; rather, it simply acknowledges with accuracy the religious culture of America as it actually exists that these holidays have been awarded their place in the culture by the people themselves."
Kathy Miller, President of watchdog group Texas Freedom network, gets snarky:
This is just a cynical attempt to use religion as a weapon to mislead the public and divide Texans over something as important as our children's education.
G. Smithy, Founder, President and CFO of U.S. Federation for the Furtherance of Smithiness, South Texas chapter, adds his two sense:
* Mr. Barton, i must say you bring up a most excellent point! Would you like to become an Honorary Member of the U.S. Federation for the Furtherance of Smithiness, South TX chapter?
* Ms. Miller, if it aint broke, don't fix it. It seems that it may people with beliefs similar to your own who are using such proposals as divisive tools, this by alluding to them within the context of religious indoctrination when, for all practical purposes, references to these holidays in schools have to do with the cultural heritage of a nation. Children are taught about the ways of these religions in schools, not in the ways of these religions. Do you propose that the children of Texas now have the "freedom" to not suffer mention of traditional days of
observance?
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I'm almost tempted to side with the proposal, though for reasons different than Ms. Miller's. Children already learn about their own traditional holidays through their own families, so why not mix-up the curriculum a little and take a more holistic approach to world cultures/religions?
Still, to strike mention of Christmas (and Rosh Hashanah) seems to go a bit far.
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