Texas State Board of Education approved a mandatory reading list including passages from the Bible for over 5 million public school students across the state. The board, with a Republican majority, voted 9 to 5, with one member abstaining.
The mandatory reading list includes Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations' and specific passages from the New Testament, along with approximately 200 texts. The decision is believed to be the first such mandatory reading list prepared at the state level in the U.S.
To take effect in the 2030-31 school year
The list will first go into effect for elementary school students in the 2030-31 academic year. A law passed in Texas in 2023 required at least one literary work to be mandatory reading at each grade level.
The decision follows previously taken educational measures in the state, such as allowing the appointment of chaplains in schools, mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, and approving a Bible-themed elective curriculum.
Fierce debates between parties
The mandatory reading list was adopted after intense debates between supporters and opponents. Opponents argued that the list prioritizes Christianity at the expense of religious pluralism and civil rights, and blurs the constitutional separation of church and state.
Supporters, however, asserted that the Judeo-Christian tradition played a fundamental role in the nation's founding and should be reflected in classroom education.
Critics' 'inclusivity' backlash
Elva Mendoza, legislative communications officer for the progressive Texas Freedom Network, stated that the list lacks diversity and does not provide flexibility for teachers and students in reading choices. Mendoza said, 'Texas schools serve children of every faith and of no faith, and they should all feel welcome in Texas schools.'
Mendoza also said, 'This sends the message to children that only one religious text—the one belonging to Christianity—is worthy of being on this mandatory reading list.'
The board was also expected to vote the same day on a new social studies curriculum linking Bible stories to American history.
