Pupils in Texas are set to have the Genesis account of Adam and Eve and the Parable of the Prodigal Son on their reading lists, after the state’s school board voted to include the Bible in its core texts.
Teachers will be instructed to include Bible texts in the English literature curriculum, alongside classic titles by William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, in educating five million pupils across the state.
A potential list suggests different Old and New Testament passages, depending on year group. Younger children could read the story of David and Goliath through a picture book, while older pupils may study the Book of Job.
New lists will be implemented in 2030, after the Republican-controlled State Board of Education voted 9-5 in favour. One Republican broke ranks and joined Democrats in voting against.
The decision has sparked a debate about the separation of church and state. It is the latest move to introduce Christianity into the classroom, after a requirement to display the Ten Commandments. That was backed by a federal appeals court in April, after legal challenges to the law were made.
Supporters have said the move respects America’s Judeo-Christian traditions.
“We’re going to stop watering down American history. We’re going to teach the truth. Our nation was founded as a Christian nation, and Texas is a Christian state,” said Brandon Hall, a school board member and pastor. He added that the Bible has had a “remarkable impact on our culture, our societies and our laws.”
Opponents believe it is exclusionary and not reflective of a diverse society, undermining teachers’ independence.
Texas Freedom Network, a left-wing activist coalition, described the curriculum as “pushing a Western-centric framing of history that promotes one religion while virtually ignoring all others.”
“Conversations that were once meant for the home and places of worship are being pushed into the classroom, forcing educators to teach from the Bible, regardless of their own beliefs. In doing so, the government is pushing parents out and inserting itself into a role it was never meant to fill. And our children are being forced to listen”, its executive director Felicia Martin said.