On Tuesday, the Texas Public Policy Foundation had the honor of hosting Governor Greg Abbott for a press event on the future of Texas education. The Governor announced new plans to thwart the creeping influence of hostile foreign actors and radical ideological networks in Texas’ K-12 public schools. His proposals included prohibiting foreign entities from using gifts, materials, or partnerships to influence schools.
“Violent ideological movements are operating in the state and seeking to exploit our public infrastructure,” warned TPPF Senior Fellow Sam Westrop.
For too long, foreign state-backed groups and extremist networks have tried to quietly subvert American principles in our public school system. They do this through soft-power initiatives, language programs, and shadowy grants with strings attached.
Look no further than Austin ISD, which accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Qatar-affiliated entities for language and culture instruction. Public information requests revealed second-grade students in Austin being instructed to complete assignments praising Islamic religious figures and assembling religious icons. The materials were so vast that the district claimed it would cost $50,000 just to hire a translator to review everything.
Then there is the Manara Academy, a public charter school in Irving, which has received support from Qatar Foundation International for its “Arab Culture Arts Program.” Classroom materials include maps of the “Arab world” that exclude Israel entirely, replacing it with “Palestine.”
In other instances across Texas, foreign-linked educational networks and programs have quietly embedded radical ideologies, displaying anti-Western sentiment and discouraging fundamental civic unity.
The Chinese Communist Party, for example, has used Confucius Classrooms to shape curriculum, suppress dissent, and cultivate sympathy for Marxist authoritarianism. After many of these were shut down, they shifted to funding Mandarin Chinese immersion programs and shaping their curriculum.
“Texas schools should be places where children learn the truth, not places where foreign interests get to shape what they think,” stated TPPF education policy expert Kate Bierly. “When foreign governments or organizations fund curriculum, teacher training, or educational programs, they can gain access to our classrooms and influence children at an incredibly formative age.”
We can’t afford to keep letting Trojan horses into our education system. Drawing a hard line against foreign influence in our classrooms is a vital step toward shielding our kids from indoctrination.