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Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed legislation to improve student learning in the state of Oklahoma.
“As students return to school this month, now is a perfect time to ensure they will learn factual information rather than modern wokeness,” Dahm said. “These curriculum updates will provide students with an understanding of our philosophical underpinnings, teach them to reason, and allow them to think critically in the classroom.”
Senate Bill 139 would add the New England Primer, The Law by Bastiat, and other historically significant documents to the required reading materials for high school students.
SB 137 would implement a pilot program that offers courses on the Constitution and the Federalist Papers among others.
“It is important for students to understand the documents that influenced the founders and also their reasons for adopting the Constitution and form of government that they did,” Dahm said. “These texts have massive historical significance both philosophically and politically. They are the groundwork of our nation.”
SB 138 would require Oklahoma social studies courses to include at least 45 minutes of instruction on Victims of Communism Day, beginning with the 2023-24 school year.
“Communist regimes have murdered more than 100 million people and subjected countless more to unthinkable atrocities,” Dahm said. “We must ensure our citizens understand the brutality of these regimes and the real danger socialism poses to our freedoms and lives.”
SB 140, the Oklahoma Science Education Act, provides for the creation of a school environment that encourages the exploration and debate of scientific theories, and allows teachers to help students analyze strengths and weaknesses of said theories rather than accepting them as proven truths.
“Students and teachers should be able to grapple with tough scientific questions in the classroom without fear of repercussions,” Dahm said. “Hopefully this will expose the ‘theory’ aspect of evolution by allowing alternate views to be presented.”