Bible stories become required reading for Texas schools

Key Points:

• A Texas education panel approved a plan to make Bible stories mandatory for all five million public school students starting in 2030, including passages from Genesis and Exodus, sparking controversy over church-state separation.
• The Republican-controlled State Board of Education passed the measure 9-5, with critics arguing it prioritizes Christianity and lacks diversity by excluding contributions from other religious and cultural groups.
• The mandated reading list also includes secular works like Dickens, Shakespeare, MLK Jr.'s speech, and Margaret Thatcher's eulogy, but the religious texts have drawn the strongest opposition from civil liberties and education groups.
• Opponents warn the mandate undermines teacher autonomy and imposes a Western-centric curriculum that omits important histories of minority and indigenous peoples.
• This move follows other conservative efforts in Texas to increase Christian influence in schools, such as requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms, a law upheld by a federal appeals court.