If you didn’t know, Texas public schools are introducing a new slate of regulations this year after state legislators passed hundreds of laws, including banning cellphones and school-sponsored DEI or LGBTQ+ clubs.
Bloomberg / Bloomberg via Getty Images
The laws that have gained the most attention are not just what’s being removed from the institutions but what’s being added — mandatory prayer time and the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
Geography Photos / Geography Photos/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Here’s a quick breakdown of what will be prohibited in Texas schools.
Pgiam / Getty Images/iStockphoto
House Bill 1481 will prohibit students from using cellphones and any other personal electronic devices at school. The legislators believe this new law will improve performance and reduce distractions in the classroom.
Senate Bill 12 will prohibit any school-sponsored clubs based on gender identity or sexual orientation, and any diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or policies in K-12 schools.
Under Senate Bill 13, school boards and parents will have a final say over which books are allowed in some school libraries, not librarians. If 10% or at least 50 parents request an advisory council to approve/remove materials in school libraries, the institution must create it.
In free or reduced school lunches and breakfast programs, Senate Bill 314 will ban certain additives (brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, red dye 3, and more). According to lawmakers, the additives introduce long-term health risks and disorders to children.
Not everything is being taken away from Texas schools. Some things are being added to campuses due to these new laws. House Bill 27 will require financial literacy classes to be added to the high school curriculum starting in 2026. Public schools will receive new funding for teachers, early childhood development, special education, insurance, and more. Families will also have public access to private school vouchers thanks to Senate Bill 2.
What’s being added to schools is what is really gaining attention and going viral. Senate Bill 11 will require schools to designate Bible reading and prayer time during the school day. And Senate Bill 10 will require public elementary and secondary schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom on a visible 16″ x 20″ poster.
WFAA, WFAA / Hays CISD
According to Texas news reports, organizations like Texas Values, a faith-based conservative nonprofit, partner with like-minded groups to donate Ten Commandment posters to classrooms. While the new law requires donated posters to be displayed, some districts have actually purchased their own posters. Even lawmakers in support of the bills have started raising money to buy posters to prepare the schools for the Sept. 1 deadline.
The new Texas laws have gone viral and have sparked many concerned reactions and comments.
“No phones? Ten Commandments? Thank goodness I graduated when I did because this all sounds so miserable. I feel bad for the kids,” one person wrote.
Another person said, “i’m genuinely astounded by how texas managed to get away with such blatant violations of the separation of church and state as ‘every classroom must have a visible 16″ x20″ poster of the ten commandments on display.’ this country is headed backwards so fast it’s unbelievable.”
Related: Hillary Clinton Just Hit On One Of Donald Trump’s Biggest Insecurities With Three Words
Someone else added, “there’s nothing inherently wrong with being christian but forcing every classroom to display the ten commandments is so fucking dystopian.”
This person said, “Prayer Time and the Ten Commandments are a jump scare.”
“The Ten Commandments in school thing is so funny. Gotta remind first graders not to kill someone or bang their neighbor’s wife,” another person said.
“the ten commandments must be on display when the president has broken at least 8 of them so why are they acting like they matter,” someone else commented.
And finally, someone brutally wrote, “Oh, good- so when one of the students (in the state with the most registered firearms) shows up with their parents gun and decides to light it up, the students will have prayer hour and a ten commandment poster to look at but not the ability to call 911 or their parents.”
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.
Also in In the News: “The AI Told Him To Kill Himself And He Did”: 10 Nightmare Things AI And Robots Have Done To Humans
Also in In the News: A Viral Video Is Exposing The Massive Difference Between Christianity And “MAGA Christianity,” And Trump Supporters Are Not Happy
Also in In the News: “This Is Like Applauding A Grown Man For Being Able To Wipe Their Behind”: 29 Of The Best, Most Brutal, And Funniest Political Tweets Of The Week
