politics
Texas Board Approves Bible Excerpts for Required K-12 Reading List
The Texas Board of Education voted 9-5 on June 26 to add Bible passages to a new statewide reading list that takes effect in 2030. The list also includes works by Dante, Shakespeare, and Lincoln.
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The Texas Board of Education approved a new required reading list on June 26 that includes excerpts from the Bible for public school students. The measure passed 9-5 and will begin with elementary grades in 2030. The selected passages cover the story of Moses in Exodus, the parable of the prodigal son in Luke, and selections from the Adam and Eve account in Genesis.
The same list also requires readings from Dante’s Inferno, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
The board simultaneously adopted new social studies standards that emphasize American and Texas history. Teachers may add other texts to supplement the required list. ” The same representative said the draft standards present both positive and negative aspects of historical events while encouraging appreciation for the country.
A federal appeals court earlier upheld a separate Texas law requiring display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The court found the display requirement does not establish a state religion. The reading-list decision occurs alongside growing interest in classical education models that stress history and the liberal arts.
An analysis by Arcadia Education projects that 1.4 million Pre-K-12 students could be enrolled in classical schools by 2035 if current growth rates continue.
