Education

Texas Board of Education Adopts New High School Social Studies Standards Amid Debate Over Islam Lessons

By Pooja Lodhia

The State Board of Education in Texas has approved a new social studies curriculum for public high school students, altering content taught in government and history courses. The decision follows hours of public testimony from hundreds of residents, with the most contentious debate centering on how Islam is portrayed in the new standards.

Board member Brandon Hall defended the inclusion of specific language, stating, "Texas is a majority Christian state, and Christians do not recognize Mohammed as a prophet." After discussion, the board decided the curriculum will describe early Islamic military campaigns against Jewish and Christian communities as "brutal."

Board member Will Hickman questioned the singling out of this term, noting that while many historical conflicts have been violent, this is the only instance where the word "brutal" is specifically applied. Hall countered that omitting the term would minimize a historically significant period relevant to understanding the origins of one of the world's major religions.

The board also approved language attributing the September 11 attacks to "Radical Islam" rather than naming specific terrorist organizations responsible. Sameeha Rizvi, Government Affairs and Legislative Manager for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), criticized this approach, arguing that broad terminology could lead students to associate Islam broadly with terrorism rather than understanding the specific extremist ideologies involved. She emphasized the need for historical accuracy and specificity in classroom instruction.

Governor Greg Abbott has classified CAIR as a terrorist organization, a designation the group disputes and is currently challenging in court. CAIR describes itself as a civil rights organization.

Rizvi also stressed the importance of ensuring curriculum content reflects the diversity of Texas's population. Despite testimony from numerous speakers requesting that the curriculum include information on positive historical contributions made by Muslim leaders, the board did not incorporate these suggestions.

This latest curriculum change follows a decision in June, when the board approved updates to the state's K-8 curriculum that included a mandatory reading list featuring Bible stories.

The new high school standards are set to be phased in starting with the 2030-31 school year. While the state sets these curriculum guidelines, local school districts and administrators retain authority over the specific details of classroom instruction, provided they comply with the state requirements.