Texas Approves Bible Readings for 5M Public School Students
The 15-member Republican board advanced a list of about 200 texts that would make Bible stories and verses required reading for more than 5 million students.
- On Thursday, the majority-Republican Texas State Board of Education granted preliminary approval to a social studies curriculum overhaul and a mandatory reading list featuring Christian stories, following an initial authorization two days prior.
- Supporters argued that requiring students to read Bible stories acknowledges that the nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values, with Brandon Hall, the State Board of Education member for District 11, seeking to roll back 80 years of historical revisionism.
- Blake Ziegler, a Texas field organizer for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, criticized the inclusion of Lamentations 3, arguing it invites antisemitic implications when paired with Elie Wiesel's Holocaust literature, while Rabbi Josh Fixler called the term "Judeo-Christian" a "fig leaf at inclusion."
- The mandate affects over five and a half million students in Texas, requiring Bible instruction for children as young as 6 years old, though educators stressed that many books do not align with state requirements despite consuming roughly 36 weeks of instructional time.
- Final approval is scheduled for Friday, June 26, 2026; if approved, both the social studies overhaul and the reading list will take effect during the 2030-31 school year.
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Texas state school board approves mandated reading list including Bible passages
(Reuters) — The Texas Board of Education on Friday approved mandated reading lists for public school children that include passages from the Bible — the latest effort by leaders there to infuse the education system with conservative and religious ideals. The post Texas state school board approves mandated reading list including Bible passages appeared first on West Hawaii Today.
In addition to classics, passages from the Bible will also be part of the compulsory reading of schoolchildren in the U.S. state of Texas.
Texas will require students to read Bible passages in a new state curriculum
Texas students will be required to read Bible passages and learn about the role of Christianity in the state's history under new reading lists and social studies curriculum expected to be approved Friday.
Texas Mandates Bible Readings for Millions of Public Students
Austin, Texas – The Texas State Board of Education voted to require public school students to read Bible passages as part of a new mandatory statewide reading list. The board approved the list in a 9-5 vote after several days of hearings. The requirement is scheduled to take effect in the 2030-2031 school year and will apply across grade levels in Texas public schools, which enroll about 5.5 million students. The reading list includes roughly 20…
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