Pentagon introduces western civilization course in its schools

The Department of Defense Education Activity will offer a high school course, Western Civilization to 1500, this fall using a textbook from Encounter Books with lesson plans linked to Hillsdale College; the virtual course can meet a world history graduation requirement for the department's roughly 70,000 students in about 160 schools across 11 countries. Historians and educators say excerpts portray Christianity and western civilization as nearly identical and cast Islam as a threat, while publishers and a co-author defend the book; the move follows leadership hires that prioritize classical learning and has prompted scrutiny and legal challenges over curriculum direction.

DoD will teach western civilization using a conservative textbook.