06 LC 33
1256-ER
House
Bill 1663
By:
Representative Mangham of the
94th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to competencies and core curriculum for elementary
and secondary students under the "Quality Basic Education Act," so as to provide
for the offering of state funded high school courses in the History and
Literature of the Old Testament Era and the History and Literature of the New
Testament Era; to provide for the adoption of the curricula for such courses by
the State Board of Education; to provide for the topics of instruction, reading
materials, and methods of teaching in such courses; to provide for certain
matters relating to the employment and assignment of teachers of such courses;
to provide for the granting of academic credit for the successful completion of
such courses; to provide for the monitoring of the content and teaching of such
courses; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Part
2 of Article 6 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to competencies and core curriculum for elementary and
secondary students under the "Quality Basic Education Act," is amended by adding
at the end thereof a new Code section to read as follows:
"20-2-148.
(a)(1)
In implementing this Code section, it is the intent of the General Assembly to
accomplish the following objectives:
(A)
To equip the student with a fundamental understanding of important literary
forms contained in the Bible as well as people and symbols often referred to in
literature, art, and music;
(B)
To equip the student with a fundamental understanding of important biblical
contributions to history, law, American community life, and
culture;
(C)
To give insight into the world views of
Americás
founding fathers and to understand the biblical influences on their views of
human rights;
(D)
To provide a greater knowledge of Middle Eastern history, geography, religion,
and politics; and
(E)
To inform the students of the importance of religion in world and national
history, without imposing the doctrine of any particular religious
sect.
(2)
In implementing the course provided for in this Code section, it is the intent
of the General Assembly that the following terms and guidelines shall
apply:
(A)
'Secular purpose' is defined as those studies which instill in students values
such as independent thought, tolerance of diverse views, self-respect, maturity,
self-reliance, and logical decision making, and those studies which give
students great insight and appreciation of literature, the arts, politics,
history, law, social studies, and current events. Secular purpose, for example,
should not mean 'nonreligious purpose' but 'general public
purpose';
(B)
The studies shall be structured and presented in such a manner that the
presentation of material neither enhances nor inhibits religion. Inculcation or
proselytization of any particular doctrine, dogma, religious belief, or theory
is prohibited;
(C)
There shall be no requirement that a teacher shall have a particular religious
belief (or nonreligious belief) or persuasion in order to conduct religious
studies;
(D)
Funds for the presentation of instruction shall be provided by the school board.
If school board funding is not available, then the funds may be raised by the
private sector;
(E)
The teaching about religion in public schools and the presentation or offering
of an elective course in Bible study, comparative religion, or both in the
secondary schools is expressly permitted and is constitutional;
(F)
Study of the Bible should stress the influence of the Bible on history, culture,
the arts, and contemporary issues;
(G)
Study of the Bible should permit and encourage a comprehensive and balanced
examination of the entire spectrum of ideas and attitudes pertaining to it as a
component of human culture;
(H)
Study of the Bible should examine the religious dimension of human experience in
its broader cultural context, including its relation to economic, political, and
social institutions as well as its relation to the arts, language, and
culture;
(I)
Study of the Bible should be objective and nonsectarian;
(J)
Study of the Bible should be academic in nature, stressing student awareness and
understanding, not acceptance and conformity;
(K)
Study should be descriptive and nonconfessional and should be conducted in an
environment free of advocacy;
(L)
Study should seek to develop and utilize the various skills, attitudes, and
abilities that are essential to history and the social sciences, that is,
locating, classifying, and interpreting data; keen observation; critical
reading, listening, and thinking; questioning; and effective
communication;
(M)
Study of the Bible should be academically responsible and pedagogically sound,
utilizing accepted methods and materials of the social sciences, history, and
literature; and
(N)
Study about the Bible should center on the biblical text itself rather than
extraneous material and theories which might express a particular theological
position rather than the historical presentation found in the
Bible.
(b)
All public schools with grade nine or above may make available to eligible
students in grades nine through 12 an elective course in the History and
Literature of the Old Testament Era and an elective course in the History and
Literature of the New Testament Era. The purpose of such courses shall be to
accommodate the rights and desires of those teachers and students who wish to
teach and study the Old and New Testaments and to familiarize students with the
contents of the Old and New Testaments, the history recorded by the Old and New
Testaments, the literary style and structure of the Old and New Testaments, the
customs and cultures of the peoples and societies recorded in the Old and New
Testaments, and the influence of the Old and New Testaments upon law, history,
government, literature, art, music, customs, morals, values, and
culture.
(c)(1)
No later than February 1, 2007, the State Board of Education shall adopt a
curriculum for each course, including objectives, reading materials, and lesson
plans, which has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of this
subsection.
(2)
The topics to be included in the course in the History and Literature of the Old
Testament Era may include the historical background and events of the period;
the history of the Kingdom of Israel; the poetry of the Old Testament; the
influence of Old Testament history and literature on subsequent art, music,
literature, law, and events, including recent and current events in the Middle
East. The topics to be included in the course in the History and Literature of
the New Testament Era may include the historical background and events of the
period; the life of Jesus of Nazareth; the parables of Jesus; the life and
travels of Paul; and the influence of New Testament history and literature on
subsequent art, music, literature, law, and events.
(3)
The book or collection of books commonly known as the Old Testament shall be the
basic text for the course in the History and Literature of the Old Testament
Era, and the book or collection of books commonly known as the New Testament
shall be the basic text for the course in the History and Literature of the New
Testament Era. In addition, students may be assigned a range of reading
materials for the courses, including selections from secular historical and
cultural works and selections from other religious and cultural traditions. The
courses shall familiarize students with the customs and cultures of the times
and places referred to in the Old and New Testaments. The courses shall
familiarize the students with the methods and tools of writing at the times the
Old and New Testament books were written, the means by which they were
preserved, the languages in which they were written and into which they were
translated, and the historical and cultural events which led to the translation
of the Old and New Testaments into the English language. The local board of
education may determine which version of the Old or New Testament shall be used
as the main text or, if the local board of education does not do so, that
determination may be made by the teacher of the course. No student shall be
required to use one version as the sole text of the Old or New Testament. If a
student desires to use as the basic text a different version of the Old or New
Testament from that chosen by the local board of education or teacher, he or she
shall be permitted to do so.
(4)
The courses provided for in this Code section shall:
(A)
Be taught in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to
indoctrinate the students as to either the truth or falsity of the biblical
materials or as to the correct interpretation thereof;
(B)
Not include teaching of religious doctrine or sectarian interpretation of the
Bible; and
(C)
Not disparage or encourage a commitment to a set of religious
beliefs.
(d)
The provisions of this chapter relating to personnel employed by local units of
administration, including without limitation certification requirements,
employment, and supervision, shall apply to persons who teach the courses
provided for in this Code section. In addition, no person shall be assigned to
teach such courses based in whole or in part on any religious test, profession
of faith or lack thereof, prior or present religious affiliation or lack of
affiliation, or criteria involving particular beliefs or lack thereof about the
Bible. Except for these requirements, the qualifications and training of
teachers shall be determined by the local boards of education.
(e)
On and after July 1, 2007, for the purpose of earning Carnegie unit curriculum
credits at the high school level, satisfactory completion of the course in the
History and Literature of the Old Testament Era shall be accepted by the State
Board of Education for one-half unit of elective credit, and satisfactory
completion of the course in the History and Literature of the New Testament Era
shall be accepted by the State Board of Education for one-half unit of elective
credit; provided, however, that such courses are taught in strict compliance
with the requirements of this Code section.
(f)
A local board of education may make such arrangements for monitoring the content
and teaching of the course in the History and Literature of the Old Testament
Era and the course in the History and Literature of the New Testament Era as it
deems appropriate.
(g)
Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to limit the authority of a
local board of education to offer courses regarding the Old Testament or the New
Testament that are not in compliance with this Code section; provided, however,
that no state funds distributed pursuant to this article shall be expended in
connection with such a course that does not meet the requirements of this Code
section.
(h)
Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to prohibit local boards of
education from offering elective courses based upon the books of other religions
or societies. In determining whether to offer such courses, the local board may
consider various factors including, but not limited to, student and parent
demand for such courses and the impact such books have had upon history and
culture."
SECTION
2.
This
Act shall become effective on July 1, 2006.
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.