Houston, Nov 23 (IANS): The State Board of Education of Texas, the second largest US state, on Friday approved a new curriculum that allows Bible teachings in statewide elementary schools.

The lessons are optional for schools to adopt as early as next school year, and districts can receive at least 40 US dollars per student for using state-approved materials, local media reported, citing local legislation.

Advocates claimed the Bible is a core feature of the US history and that teaching it will enrich students' learning, while parents and teachers who opposed the curriculum said the lessons would alienate students from different faith backgrounds and potentially violate the First Amendment.

"The materials will also allow our students to better understand the connection of history, art, community, literature, and religion on pivotal events like the signing of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Movement, and the American Revolution," Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a staunch Republican, voiced his support in a statement in May.

With the new curriculum, Texas would be the first state to introduce Bible lessons in schools in this manner, Xinhua news agency reported while quoting an AP report, citing Matthew Patrick Shaw, an assistant professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt University.

However, Texas is not alone. A number of Republican-controlled states like Oklahoma and Louisiana have also been behind the push to enforce Christian-based school requirements, including the implementation of Bibles, the Ten Commandments and other religious doctrines in public schools.

The Texas State Board of Education, consisting of 11 Republicans and four Democrats, oversees more than five million students in public schools across the state.