Chicago (AFP) – Texas’s education authority has decided to keep teaching public school students about Hillary Clinton, US media reported Tuesday, reversing an earlier move to drop the former Democratic presidential nominee from the history curriculum.
In September, officials controversially voted to remove Clinton — the first woman nominated for US president by a major party — and disability rights activist Helen Keller from a list of recommended political and social leaders.
The move, intended to streamline what history teachers are required to teach, prompted accusations of political bias in the setting of education standards.
On Tuesday, the Texas Board of Education, whose standards affect more than five million students and inform textbook publishers’ decisions, voted 12-2 to reverse it, US media reported.
Republican board member Marty Rowley said he voted to keep 2016 Democratic nominee Clinton on the list after hearing “tons of public comment” on the issue, according to The Texas Tribune.
“I don’t agree, obviously, with her politics,” he said. “I just think she qualifies as significant.”
Another Republican board member, Pat Hardy voted against reinstating Clinton, because “she doesn’t represent good citizenship,” according to reports.
“I just do not respect the woman,” Hardy said. “As far as I’m concerned, she’s done a lot of detrimental things to our country.”
The board’s decision was preliminary and still required a final vote scheduled for Friday.
The body must also still contend with other thorny issues, such as whether to keep the Biblical figure Moses on a list of key political thinkers who influenced America’s founders.
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