Donald Trump’s potential education secretary pick has proposed a nationwide mandate to require Bibles in classrooms.
When presented with the idea of implementing the controversial policy across all schools nationwide on Tuesday, Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s chief school official and one of the names rumored to be in the running for the next education secretary, did not object.
“Look, if you’re teaching American history, the Bible has to be included and we cannot allow left-wing activists to sit here and say we don’t like Christianity ,” Walters told Blake Burman on NewsNation’s The Hill.
“We will ensure that history is taught in every class. That means kids will know American exceptionalism. That means kids will know the role that faith played. We will be unapologetic about that here in Oklahoma,” he added, pointing to the policy already in place in his home state.
“We want to make sure that every student knows the role that the Bible played in American history.”
When asked by Burman whether he had spoken with Trump’s team regarding the top education position, Walters dodged the topic.
Walters also expressed his support for Trump’s intention to close the Department of Education. “President Trump has laid out the best plan for education of any presidential candidates—the boldest, most aggressive, most conservative,” claimed Walters.
“This is the reform we need. You do away with the Federal Department of Education. What you no longer have is this overreach and this left-wing drive to push states toward an agenda.”
“My focus has been on Oklahoma and the education here and we’re going to be on the front lines of bringing forth that America First agenda from President Trump to our state,” he said.
In June, Walters directed all Oklahoma state schools to “immediately” include the Bible into the classroom curriculum, sparking anger and threats of lawsuits.
“Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments , as an instructional support into the curriculum” in grades five through 12, according to the notice from the Republican school superintendent.
“The Bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western civilization, along with the Ten Commandments ,” the notice reads.
In a news conference at the time, Walters stated that every school in the state “will have a Bible in the classroom” and that every teacher “will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom.”
More than 30 educators and parents sued him as a result of the move, putting him in the national spotlight.