politics
Texas Board Approves Bible Passages for Required School Reading List
The Republican-controlled Texas Board of Education approved a new mandated reading list that includes Bible passages and New Testament excerpts. Florida education officials said they are open to a similar policy.
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The Republican-controlled Texas Board of Education on Friday approved a new mandated reading list for public school students that includes Bible passages and New Testament excerpts. The list also contains works such as Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" and Biblical stories like Jonah and the whale.
The required readings will be added to the curriculum from elementary through high school beginning in the 2030-2031 school year.
Florida does not currently have a similar policy.
A spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education told the Miami Herald that familiarity with the Bible would help students understand the Founding Fathers.
the Texas Freedom Network said the list sends the message that only one religious text is worthy of inclusion. A retiree from Lubbock told the board that America should celebrate its founding as a nation of Christian values. Texas educates roughly one in ten U.S. public school students and has previously led efforts to place religion in classrooms.
Florida followed a 2023 Texas policy allowing public schools to hire religious chaplains by adopting a similar measure about a year later.
