Oklahoma schools are now required to teach the Bible and have a copy in every classroom, as announced by the state’s top education official, Ryan Walters, on Thursday.

This new rule is effective immediately and applies to grades five through 12.

In a memo sent to all school districts, Walters emphasized that the Bible and the Ten Commandments should be used for their “substantial influence on our nation’s founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution.” The memo stated, “Immediate and strict compliance is expected.”

At a state Board of Education meeting, Walters said, “We’ll be teaching from the Bible in the classroom to ensure that this historical understanding is there for every student in the state of Oklahoma.”

However, the policy has faced criticism from Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a nonprofit civil liberties group. They argue that Walters’ new Bible policy is “trampling the religious freedom of public school children and their families.” Rachel Laser, the group’s CEO, said in a statement, “This is textbook Christian Nationalism: Walters is abusing the power of his public office to impose his religious beliefs on everyone else’s children.” She added that her organization is “ready to step in,” though she did not commit to legal action.

Since taking office in January 2023, Walters has actively worked to “put God back in schools.” He has gained national attention for his efforts to incorporate Christian beliefs and teachings into state education policy. Recently, Governor Kevin Stitt approved Walters’ regulations that included time for prayer in schools and expanded the state Education Department’s “foundational values” to acknowledge a “Creator” and the existence of good and evil.

Despite support from some, Walters has faced pushback. Earlier this month, Stitt issued an executive order prohibiting state agencies from entering into sole-source contracts with marketing and public relations firms after Walters hired a public relations firm at $200 per hour to help him get national media attention.

The new Bible teaching requirement comes just days after the state Supreme Court ruled that a state contract to fund a Catholic charter school violated state and federal law. Walters called the ruling “sanctioned discrimination against Christians” and insisted, “This ruling cannot and must not stand.”

However, State Attorney General Gentner Drummond, also a conservative Republican, disagreed, stating, “This decision is a tremendous victory for religious liberty. The framers of the U.S. Constitution and those who drafted Oklahoma’s Constitution clearly understood how best to protect religious freedom: by preventing the State from sponsoring any religion at all.”