Education or indoctrination

Maury County, Tennessee is in the heart of the Bible Belt. So it’s understandable why the local church ladies got all shook up when they discovered that school children had been forced to declare, “There is no God but Allah.”

Seventh graders at Spring Hill Middle School spent three weeks covering Islam in a Social Studies class – enraging some parents who say the lessons crossed the line into indoctrination and proselytization.

I was very angry that my child, my Christian child, was made to profess that Allah was the only God,” she told me.

According to the lessons, students were instructed to write the “Shahada” – “There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” Students also learned the five pillars of Islam.

Dr. Jan Hanvey, Maury County Public Schools middle school supervisor, said the state decides what standards schools must follow.

“The tests that our students take at the end of the year is over the standards that the state has adopted,” Hanvey said. “Should we choose not to adopt those standards, we are putting ourselves at a handicap.

” MCPS Director Chris Marczak said the schools must follow state standards, per Tennessee law, and failing to follow them is grounds for termination.

In sixth grade, state documents show instruction covers Egyptian religious practices, Hinduism, Buddhism, monotheism, the 10 Commandments, the Hebrew Bible, Christianity and Jesus being the son of God.

In seventh grade, the Islamic World is covered, along with Japanese Shinto and Buddhism, the spread of Christianity and the Crusades.

School board member David Bates, who was elected chairman Thursday, said it is essential to teach about religion, not of religion. Students are not being asked to believe in any particular religion, Bates said.

Skeptical wrote:
'There is no God but Allah'? School accused of Islamic indoctrination

Maury County, Tennessee is in the heart of the Bible Belt. So it’s understandable why the local church ladies got all shook up when they discovered that school children had been forced to declare, “There is no God but Allah.”

Seventh graders at Spring Hill Middle School spent three weeks covering Islam in a Social Studies class – enraging some parents who say the lessons crossed the line into indoctrination and proselytization.

AND

I was very angry that my child, my Christian child, was made to profess that Allah was the only God,” she told me.

According to the lessons, students were instructed to write the “Shahada” – “There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” Students also learned the five pillars of Islam.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/09/10/there-is-no-god-but-allah-school-accused-islamic-indoctrination.html



According to Columbia Herald from Columbia, TN

School board explains curriculum on Islam

Dr. Jan Hanvey, Maury County Public Schools middle school supervisor, said the state decides what standards schools must follow.

“The tests that our students take at the end of the year is over the standards that the state has adopted,” Hanvey said. “Should we choose not to adopt those standards, we are putting ourselves at a handicap.

” MCPS Director Chris Marczak said the schools must follow state standards, per Tennessee law, and failing to follow them is grounds for termination.

In sixth grade, state documents show instruction covers Egyptian religious practices, Hinduism, Buddhism, monotheism, the 10 Commandments, the Hebrew Bible, Christianity and Jesus being the son of God.

In seventh grade, the Islamic World is covered, along with Japanese Shinto and Buddhism, the spread of Christianity and the Crusades.

School board member David Bates, who was elected chairman Thursday, said it is essential to teach about religion, not of religion. Students are not being asked to believe in any particular religion, Bates said.

Concerns of parents:

"Rachel Hoover, a Burlington Circle resident, said she does not have any issue with learning about religion as part of history, but learning the Five Pillars of Islam and writing prayers is a form of indoctrination."

"Louis Varacalle, a Hampshire Pike resident, said he spent 12 years in the U.S. Army and fought and was wounded in Afghanistan.

“The other day, my daughter came home and told me what she was learning, and this caused some anxiety in me because I know what their religion means,” Varacalle said.

He went on to discuss Sharia Law, which he said states that a goat’s life is worth more than a human’s.


http://columbiadailyherald.com/news/local-news/school-board-explains-curriculum-islam#sthash.F2eWahlS.dpuf